Greenfield

Population 17,691 (2025)

14 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 50 miles of Greenfield since 1851; the strongest at closest approach was an unnamed storm in 1938 (Category 1).

Hazard fingerprint for Greenfield Tornado: 48th percentile. Tropical: 76th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 71th percentile. Hail & wind: 90th percentile. Heat: 13th percentile. Cold: 9th percentile. Winter: 94th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 195047
  • Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger34
  • Major flood years since 1978, Franklin County2

At a glance

Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Franklin County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Franklin County.

Tropical cyclones within 50 mi

14

2 at hurricane strength since 1851

Details

Flood insurance claims

114

Franklin County

$3.8 million paid since 1978

Details

Tornadoes since 1950, within 25 mi

47

2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger

Details

Strongest tornado

F4

June 9, 1953, 34.9 mile path

Strongest tropical cyclone

Cat. 1

Hurricane (unnamed), 1938, 22.9 miles away

Federal disaster declarations

22

Most recent: Hurricane Lee, 2023

Details

Record high

104°F

July 4, 1911

Details

Record low

−30°F

January 22, 1961

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 1.6 years since 1950, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 9, 1953

F4, 34.9 mile path

900 yards wide; 94 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Monday, July 18, 2022

EF1, 0.4 mile path

4 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade, within 25 miles Doppler radar era² 1950s: 12 12 1960s: 9 9 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 1 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 2 M: 0 A: 0 M: 5 J: 4 J: 24 24 A: 9 S: 3 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950
Jul 18, 2022EF10.425000
Feb 25, 2017EF14.620010
Feb 25, 2017EF12.910000
Sep 1, 2013EF00.11000
Jul 11, 2006F22.920000
Jun 2, 2000F10.51000
Jul 3, 1997F12.010010
Jul 3, 1997F18.510000
Jul 3, 1997F14.510000
Jul 3, 1997F11.37300
Jun 27, 1992F00.11040
May 31, 1991F00.53000
Jul 14, 1988F00.21000
Jul 14, 1988F10.21000
Jul 5, 1984F12.08000
Jul 5, 1984F10.33000
Aug 1, 1983F00.11300
Aug 2, 1973F03.31000
Aug 27, 1972F21.010000
Aug 9, 1972F29.71010
Jul 3, 1972F13.02000
Jul 3, 1972F11.01000
Sep 13, 1971F30.51000
Aug 17, 1970F10.23000
Aug 17, 1970F116.71000
Jun 18, 1970F118.744000
Aug 11, 1966F25.66700
Jul 14, 1965F00.11000
May 27, 1965F11.33300
Jul 29, 1964F14.31000
Jul 29, 1964F00.11700
Sep 12, 1963F11.05000
May 20, 1963F20.11700
Jul 21, 1961F24.916700
Jul 2, 1961F02.028000
Aug 14, 1958F21.06700
Aug 13, 1958F18.023300
Jul 11, 1958F10.413300
Jul 11, 1958F10.15000
Jul 11, 1958F21.010000
Jul 5, 1957F00.11000
Jul 5, 1957F11.01000
May 10, 1957F10.21700
May 10, 1957F10.21700
Jul 5, 1955F20.11000
Jul 14, 1954F11.33300
Jun 9, 1953F434.99001,22894
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
  2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

14 passed within 50 miles since 1851; 2 at hurricane strength.

Strongest within 50 miles

September 21, 1938

Unnamed storm, Category 1

22.9 miles at closest approach, winds near 84 mph.

Most recent

July 9, 2021

Elsa, Tropical storm

91.0 miles at closest approach.

Tropical cyclones within 50 miles by decade 50s: 0 60s: 1 70s: 1 80s: 0 90s: 2 00s: 0 10s: 0 20s: 0 30s: 1 40s: 0 50s: 1 60s: 3 3 70s: 2 80s: 1 90s: 1 00s: 0 10s: 1 20s: 0 50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s
Storms within 50 miles, by decade. Records before about 1900 miss storms that never reached land or ships.

Every storm within 100 miles

Tropical cyclones within 100 miles
Elsa202191.0Tropical storm55Category 1
Isaias202064.1Tropical storm55Category 1
Andrea201392.7Post-tropical46Tropical storm
Irene201120.7Tropical storm56Category 3
Hanna200867.4Post-tropical52Category 1
Barry200787.7Post-tropical40Tropical storm
Floyd199943.7Tropical storm58Category 4
Bertha199650.3Tropical storm69Category 3
Bob199195.1Category 193Category 3
Gloria198515.6Category 182Category 4
David197971.3Post-tropical47Category 5
Belle197610.1Tropical storm40Category 3
Agnes197295.7Post-tropical52Category 1
Doria197111.1Tropical storm55Tropical storm
Unnamed19689.7Tropical storm58Tropical storm
Unnamed196149.6Tropical storm66Tropical storm
Donna196056.4Category 181Category 4
Brenda196035.2Tropical storm49Tropical storm
Carol195451.4Category 2100Category 3
Able195213.2Tropical storm46Category 2
Unnamed194955.9Tropical storm53Category 4
Unnamed194491.7Category 186Category 5
Unnamed193822.9Category 184Category 5
Unnamed193431.6Post-tropical48Category 2
Unnamed192988.7Post-tropical58Category 4
Unnamed192422.0Post-tropical63Category 1
Unnamed192375.8Tropical storm49Tropical storm
Unnamed191696.3Tropical storm62Category 2
Unnamed191659.2Post-tropical58Tropical storm
Unnamed191554.9Post-tropical44Category 1
Unnamed190866.6Tropical storm40Category 1
Unnamed190274.7Post-tropical40Tropical storm
Unnamed189928.5Post-tropical52Category 2
Unnamed189763.8Tropical storm47Tropical storm
Unnamed189450.9Tropical storm61Category 3
Unnamed189311.7Tropical storm61Category 3
Unnamed189328.1Tropical storm71Category 3
Unnamed188876.0Post-tropical40Tropical storm
Unnamed188864.0Tropical storm46Category 3
Unnamed187813.7Post-tropical63Category 2
Unnamed187436.9Tropical storm69Category 1
Unnamed187280.7Tropical storm46Category 1
Unnamed186970.7Category 2104Category 3
Unnamed186649.9Post-tropical52Tropical storm
Unnamed186362.7Tropical storm46Tropical storm
Unnamed186170.3Tropical storm58Category 1
Unnamed186142.5Tropical storm58Category 1
Unnamed185860.0Category 177Category 2
Unnamed185166.3Tropical storm46Tropical storm
  1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Wildfire and smoke

No large wildfire has been mapped within 25 miles since satellite mapping began in 1984.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 51 days

Heavy smoke on 8 days in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

14.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

16 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 17 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 2 2012: 3 2013: 0 2014: 4 2015: 8 2016: 2 2017: 4 2018: 8 2019: 7 2020: 9 2021: 21 2022: 9 2023: 51 51 2024: 18 2025: 16 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the city centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Floods and flood insurance

114 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $3.8 million paid.

Flood insurance figures are for Franklin County, the county that contains Greenfield.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1982: 5 2005: 35 2011: 42 42 1982
Claims per year since 1978. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2011: 42 claims

$1.3 million paid.

2nd most

2005: 35 claims

$2.3 million paid.

3rd most

1982: 5 claims

$8,113 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
0130148$2.8 million
013389$203,000
013418$179,000
013397$50,000
013427$104,000
5$9,139

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood52
  • Flash Flood39
  • Heavy Rain10

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Franklin County, the county that contains Greenfield.

Most severe crest

March 19, 1936

Connecticut River at Montague, 49.20 ft

21.20 feet above the 28.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.

Most recent moderate or major crest

December 18, 2023

Green River at Colrain, 9.10 ft

Moderate flooding.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Mar 19, 1936Connecticut River at Montague49.20+21.20Major
Sep 22, 1938Connecticut River at Montague44.74+16.74Major
Aug 28, 2011Deerfield River at West Deerfield23.77+14.77Major
Aug 28, 2011Deerfield River at Charlemont20.17+10.17Major
Sep 21, 1938Deerfield River at Charlemont20.17+10.17Major
Apr 5, 1987Deerfield River at West Deerfield17.71+8.71Major
Aug 28, 2011North River at Shattuckville17.66+8.66Major
Dec 31, 1948Deerfield River at Charlemont17.75+7.75Major
Sep 22, 1938Millers River at Erving13.37+6.37Major
Aug 28, 2011Green River at Colrain13.31+6.31Major
Apr 4, 1987Deerfield River at Charlemont16.25+6.25Major
Feb 12, 1925Deerfield River at Charlemont15.97+5.97Major
Jul 8, 1915Deerfield River at Charlemont15.70+5.70Major
May 31, 1984Connecticut River at Montague38.17+10.17Moderate
Apr 6, 1960Connecticut River at Montague38.13+10.13Moderate
Dec 31, 1948Connecticut River at Montague37.76+9.76Moderate
Apr 19, 1933Connecticut River at Montague37.56+9.56Moderate
Aug 29, 2011Connecticut River at Montague35.91+7.91Moderate
Mar 23, 1948Connecticut River at Montague35.90+7.90Moderate
Apr 1, 1987Connecticut River at Montague35.89+7.89Moderate
Mar 28, 1953Connecticut River at Montague35.40+7.40Moderate
Oct 9, 2005Connecticut River at Montague35.04+7.04Moderate
May 5, 1940Connecticut River at Montague34.88+6.88Moderate
Apr 23, 1969Connecticut River at Montague34.46+6.46Moderate
Dec 31, 1948Deerfield River at West Deerfield15.43+6.43Moderate

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
Connecticut River at Montague28.049.20 ftMar 19, 19362
Deerfield River at Charlemont10.020.17 ftAug 28, 20116
Deerfield River at West Deerfield9.023.77 ftAug 28, 20112
Green River at Colrain7.013.31 ftAug 28, 20111
Millers River at Erving7.013.37 ftSep 22, 19381
North River at Shattuckville9.017.66 ftAug 28, 20111
  1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 99 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 28 months.

The drought index is for Franklin County, the county that contains Greenfield.

99

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

28

Months in extreme drought

6%

Share of all months, severe or worse

16

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

November 1964

−5.44, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

28 months

June 1964 to September 1966.

Latest month

September 2026

−1.98, mild drought

Last severe month: June 2026.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 3 1911: 7 1912: 0 1913: 5 1914: 6 1915: 5 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 2 1925: 1 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 2 1930: 7 1931: 4 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 0 1936: 0 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 6 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 2 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 3 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 2 1964: 7 1965: 12 12 1966: 9 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 1 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 2 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 2 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 1 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 3 2017: 3 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Earthquakes and landslides

4 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1994; none reached magnitude 4.

3

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

0

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

0

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

October 2, 1994

Magnitude 3.7

6 km W of Hardwick, Massachusetts; 24.7 miles away, 6.2 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

June 16, 2000

Magnitude 3.3

5 km NE of Granville, Massachusetts; 37.3 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 2 2 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 1 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.
  1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
  2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Franklin County.

1

Landslides mapped, probable or better

1

With a recorded date

1

Source inventory

Mapped by NASA (1).

  1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

1,168 events in the National Weather Service record for Franklin County, 1,092 of them since 1996.

45

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

2

Hail, 2 inches or larger

428

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

277

Winter weather events since 1996

2

Heat events since 1996

2

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 22, 2013

2.25 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 11, 2006

90 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning2503Mar 31, 2026

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Aug 28, 2011Flood$22.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    After receiving eight to ten inches of rain associated with Tropical Storm Irene, major flooding occurred to portions of northwest Massachusetts, from Greenfield northwest through Colrain, Leyden, and vicinity. There were evacuations- exact amount unknown- and there were homes that were condemned. A house on West Leyden Road was reported to have been washed away in Leyden on the Green River. Multiple major routes/highways were affected in western Massachusetts, including Route 2, I-91, Route 20, Route 5, and Route 112 as well as numerous smaller roads. A flood survey along the Deerfield River indicated that in between Routes 5 and I-91, a large swath of farmland was inundated, and…

  2. Mar 30, 2001Heavy Snow, Western Franklin$8.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of interior Massachusetts, heavy rain and strong winds closer to the coast, and renewed flooding on some rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts.Snowfall accumulations were confined to the higher terrain of western, central, and northeast Massachusetts where around one foot of snow fell. As much as 15 inches fell in Ashburnham, 12 inches in Leyden and Shelburne, and 11 inches in Shirley. The lower elevations reported snowfall totals between 3 and 6 inches on average. In general, accumulating snows fell along and outside of the Interstate 495 corridor.Strong northeast winds buffeted the coast, averaging between 40 and 50 mph over…

  3. Aug 28, 2011Tropical Storm, Eastern Franklin$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Trees in Warwick (Sheperdson Road), Gill (Main Road), Shutesbury, and Deerfield (River Road) were downed onto wires. In Shutesbury, a tree was downed onto a house on Shore Drive. A tree on Mill Village Road was downed onto a house in Deerfield.||The Automated Surface Observing Station at Orange Municipal Airport (KORE) recorded sustained wind speeds of 24 knots (28 mph) and gusts to 37 knots (43 mph).

  4. Mar 9, 2001Heavy Snow, Western Franklin$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A winter storm tracking from the Great Lakes to just south of New England brought heavy snow to much of interior Massachusetts. The highest snowfall totals were found in the higher elevations of central and northeast Massachusetts, where around one foot of snow fell. Other areas, including Greater Boston, received 4 to 8 inches of snow on average.

  5. Dec 11, 2008Ice Storm, Western Franklin$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Half an inch of ice accumulated on exposed surfaces in western Franklin County. Trees and wires were downed in Ashfield, Buckland, and Shelburne.

  6. Dec 11, 2008Ice Storm, Eastern Franklin$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Half an inch of ice accumulated on exposed surfaces across eastern Franklin County. Trees, wires, and a utility pole were downed in Greenfield, Sunderland, and Warwick.

  7. Oct 9, 2005Flood, Eastern Franklin$2.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A slow-moving cold front interacted with the remnants of Tammy produced significant rain and flooding across western Massachusetts. Northwest Massachusetts, in particular, received between 9 and 11 inches of rain from this event.The significant rainfall washed out numerous roads in Hampshire and Franklin counties, including the towns of Plainfield, Chesterfield, and Bernardston. In Springfield, an apartment roof collapsed due to the weight of water on it. The swollen Green River flooded a mobile home park in Greenfield, knocking some homes off their foundations.No known injuries directly resulted from this heavy rainfall event in Massachusetts.

  8. Jun 13, 1996Flash Flood$1.8 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Thunderstorms with torrential downpours produced a flash flood, which resulted in the worst flooding in 100 years of records on the Sawmill River. All but one access road into the town of Leverett was washed out. The Spaulding Brook experienced its worst flooding in recent memory. A site survey was conducted by the National Weather Service on June 14th. More than 30 miles of roadway in southern Montague and Leverett were destroyed. Numerous homes and businesses experienced some degree of flood damage. The most significant damage was in Leverett along the confluence of the Spaulding Brook and Sawmill Creek, where a two-lane bridge, approximately 200 feet long, was destroyed,…

  9. Dec 7, 1996Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin$1.4 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A low pressure system centered over Georgia at 7 AM on December 7th moved rapidly northeast across North Carolina. The intensifying system then moved nearly parallel to the Mid-Atlantic coast with its center reaching Plymouth County in southeastern Massachusetts during the early morning hours of December 8th. Temperatures rose into the 50s along and east of the track of the low center...over Plymouth County and Cape Cod. Heavy precipitation occurred across all of Massachusetts with rain over coastal areas and the southeast part of the state and heavy snow in all of western and central Massachusetts and much of Middlesex and Essex counties in the northeastern part of the state. A…

  10. Dec 7, 1996Heavy Snow, Western Franklin$1.4 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A low pressure system centered over Georgia at 7 AM on December 7th moved rapidly northeast across North Carolina. The intensifying system then moved nearly parallel to the Mid-Atlantic coast with its center reaching Plymouth County in southeastern Massachusetts during the early morning hours of December 8th. Temperatures rose into the 50s along and east of the track of the low center...over Plymouth County and Cape Cod. Heavy precipitation occurred across all of Massachusetts with rain over coastal areas and the southeast part of the state and heavy snow in all of western and central Massachusetts and much of Middlesex and Essex counties in the northeastern part of the state. A…

  1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

Weather records

From Amherst, 16.1 miles from the city centre, with records from 1893.

All-time high
104°FJul 4, 1911
All-time low
−30°FJan 22, 1961
Warmest night
80°FJul 5, 1990
Coldest day
−3°FDec 30, 1933
Wettest day
7.56 inOct 9, 2005
Snowiest day
18.0 in2 times, most recently Feb 6, 2001
Hottest year
1949mean 52.1°F
Coldest year
1904mean 44.3°F
Wettest year
201863.62 in
Driest year
196327.66 in
Snowiest season
83.9 in1995-96
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Amherst 32°F 35° 15° 3.3 Jan 38° 16° 3.0 Feb 46° 25° 3.5 Mar 59° 35° 3.8 Apr 70° 46° 3.9 May 78° 56° 4.5 Jun 83° 61° 4.7 Jul 82° 59° 3.9 Aug 75° 51° 4.8 Sep 63° 39° 4.5 Oct 51° 29° 3.0 Nov 40° 21° 4.0 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1976: 153 1977: 141 1978: 169 169 1979: 113 1980: 156 1981: 153 1982: 162 1983: 151 1984: 153 1985: 148 1986: 161 1987: 160 1988: 159 1989: 154 1990: 125 1991: 141 1992: 161 1993: 160 1995: 144 1996: 153 1997: 159 1998: 135 1999: 148 2000: 147 2001: 155 2002: 156 2003: 150 2004: 146 2005: 153 2006: 141 2007: 152 2008: 149 2009: 155 2010: 143 2011: 149 2012: 138 2013: 159 2014: 151 2015: 140 2016: 154 2017: 139 2018: 158 2019: 164 2020: 152 2021: 142 2022: 150 2023: 141 2024: 146 2025: 160 19761986199720072017
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 149.5.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 38.6 in 1977: 54.9 in 1981: 58.5 in 1983: 44.5 in 1985: 36.0 in 1986: 42.8 in 1987: 45.0 in 1988: 13.5 in 1989: 33.0 in 1990: 8.0 in 1991: 24.2 in 1992: 54.2 in 1993: 55.2 in 1995: 83.9 in 83.9 1996: 46.6 in 1997: 18.2 in 1998: 28.1 in 1999: 27.0 in 2000: 72.2 in 2001: 25.1 in 2002: 70.3 in 2003: 45.6 in 2004: 69.0 in 2005: 37.0 in 2006: 28.9 in 2007: 59.3 in 2008: 35.7 in 2009: 20.5 in 2012: 42.5 in 2013: 47.3 in 2014: 64.7 in 2015: 16.6 in 2016: 53.6 in 2017: 39.0 in 2018: 37.8 in 2019: 24.6 in 2020: 34.9 in 2021: 20.6 in 2022: 21.8 in 2023: 16.8 in 2024: 29.2 in 2025: 64.1 in 19761991200220142024
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

November 29

Earliest: October 23, 2002

Median last snow

March 28

Latest: May 11, 1945

0 of 88 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Amherst (USC00190120), 145 ft elevation, 16.1 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 98.4% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Federal disaster declarations

22 since 1953. The most recent: Hurricane Lee, September 15, 2023.

Declarations for Franklin County.

Federal disaster declarations
Sep 15, 2023HurricaneHurricane LeeEmergencyEM-3599-MA
Mar 27, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4496-MA
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3438-MA
Apr 19, 2013Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4110-MA
Oct 28, 2012HurricaneHurricane SandyEmergencyEM-3350-MA
Jan 6, 2012Severe StormSevere Storm and SnowstormMajor disasterDR-4051-MA
Nov 1, 2011Severe StormSevere StormEmergencyEM-3343-MA
Sep 3, 2011HurricaneTropical Storm IreneMajor disasterDR-4028-MA
Aug 26, 2011HurricaneHurricane IreneEmergencyEM-3330-MA
Jan 5, 2009Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1813-MA
Dec 13, 2008Severe StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3296-MA
May 16, 2007Severe StormSevere Storms and Inland and Coastal FloodingMajor disasterDR-1701-MA
Nov 10, 2005Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1614-MA
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3252-MA
Feb 17, 2005SnowstormRecord and/Or Near Record SnowEmergencyEM-3201-MA
Jan 15, 2004SnowstormSnowEmergencyEM-3191-MA
Mar 11, 2003SnowstormSnowEmergencyEM-3175-MA
Mar 28, 2001SnowstormSnowEmergencyEM-3165-MA
Jan 24, 1996SnowstormBlizzard of 96Major disasterDR-1090-MA
Mar 16, 1993SnowstormBlizzards, High Winds & Record SnowfallEmergencyEM-3103-MA
Apr 18, 1987FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-790-MA
Oct 28, 1985HurricaneHurricane GloriaMajor disasterDR-751-MA

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
  • Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
  • Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
  • Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
  • Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
  • Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00190120.
  • River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
  • Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
  • Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.