Winter Weather — Western Middlesex, Massachusetts

1998-03-12 · Western Middlesex, Massachusetts

Wider weather episode

A fast moving snow squall suddenly dropped visibility to near zero on Interstate Route 495 in Boxborough and resulted in a pile-up of 30 to 35 vehicles and the deaths of two people. A 45-year-old man and a 3-month-old infant died. Motorists were blinded by the snow. A thin coating of ice which quickly formed on the road surface contributed to the multiple vehicle crashes. The highway was closed for about 3 hours and traffic was stalled for 7 miles. Another similar heavy snow squall occurred in Windham and Derry in southeast New Hampshire, which resulted in multiple crashes on Interstate Route 93 and the closure of that highway. Massive traffic tie-ups affected commuters and motorists from Massachusetts on that interstate highway throughout the afternoon.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5642650. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.