Heavy Snow — Western Franklin, Massachusetts

2018-11-26 to 2018-11-27 · Western Franklin, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Heavy snow occurred in the immediate slopes of the Berkshires. Co-Op observers reported 12 of snow in Rowe and 10.5 in East Hawley. An amateur radio observer reported 10.0 in Charlemont. Heath had 6.7. Farther east, only 3.5 was reported in Leyden and only 1.5 fell in Conway. The weight of the heavy snow caused trees and wires to be downed. At 640 AM on the 27th, a tree was down on wires on West Hawley Road in Hawley. At 705 AM on the 27th, wires were down on Rowe Road in Charlemont. Between 748 AM and 856 AM, amateur radio reported that Zoar Road in Rowe was completely closed due to multiple trees and wires down; two trees and wires were down on Ford Hill Road; and a tree and wires were down on Hazelton Road. At 833 AM, a tree was down on Avery Brook Road in Heath. At 1040 AM, a tree was reported down on power lines on Mid-County Road in Leyden.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system over the mid-Atlantic region strengthened as it moved across southern New England on Monday, Nov. 26. It moved into northern New England on Tuesday, Nov. 27, where it lingered into Wednesday. A foot of snow fell in northwesternmost part of Franklin County, Massachusetts, with 6 to 10 inches elsewhere in the immediate east slopes of the Berkshires. One to two inches of rain fell across the remainder of the region. Strong winds gusted to 45 to 55 mph in eastern Massachusetts, but there was only one report of a tree down - in Essex County in northeastern Massachusetts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 792002. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.