High Wind — Western Hampshire, Massachusetts

2021-03-02 · Western Hampshire, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Winds generally were gusting to 45-55 mph in the lower elevations, but to 60+ mph in the higher elevations. Atop nearby Mt. Tom in Holyoke, a mesonet site recorded wind gusts to 62 mph at 407 PM EST and to 78 mph at 412 AM EST on March 2nd! A wind gust to 61 mph was reported on the ASOS not too far away at Westfield-Barnes Airport (KBAF) at 453 AM EST on the 2nd. In Goshen at 619 AM EST on March 2nd, a tree was down on wires and the wires landed on a house and a car on South Chesterfield Road.

Wider weather episode

An arctic cold front moved through southern New England on the afternoon of March 1st. It was followed by very strong/damaging west-northwest winds, which continued through much of the night and into the early morning hours on March 2nd. There were many reports of downed trees and at one point, more than 60,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 940333. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.