Afternoon plans across western Massachusetts got a rude interruption Tuesday as a severe thunderstorm warning locked onto parts of the region, with forecasters flagging quarter-size hail and wind gusts near 60 mph strong enough to topple trees and dent cars. The alert stretched across pockets of the Connecticut River valley and neighboring towns while meteorologists and emergency officials urged people to head inside and hold off on nonessential travel until the line of storms moved through.
Where the warning applied
According to Boston 25, the warning zone included southwestern Worcester County, southeastern Hampshire County, southeastern Franklin County and east-central Hampden County, and was set to remain in place until 4 p.m. Local forecasters at the station tracked the storm cells as they slid east and pushed out rapid updates on social platforms while the weather turned volatile.
What forecasters warned
"Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines," the National Weather Service cautioned in its warning, per Boston 25. Radar showed a fast-moving line capable of producing frequent lightning, and forecasters stressed that the most likely problems would be downed branches, scattered power outages and pockets of minor structural damage as the storms swept through.
Safety and local resources
Officials urged anyone in the path of the storms to move inside a sturdy building, stay away from windows and avoid driving through flooded or debris-strewn roads while the worst weather passed. For residents trying to keep tabs on outages and warnings, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's outage map and the National Weather Service's local forecasts remained key resources; see Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and National Weather Service in Boston for live updates.
Regional outlook
The Storm Prediction Center had already placed parts of the Northeast under a Slight Risk for severe storms Tuesday, noting in its Day 1 outlook that scattered storms across the Great Lakes and Northeast could produce damaging winds and hail. Forecasters expected the line to gradually weaken as it moved offshore later in the afternoon and evening, but they warned that localized damage and power outages could still crop up while the stronger cells remained over land.
