A hazardous snow squall was hitting parts of the area on Wednesday, with thunder reported during intense periods of heavy snow.
A 'Snow Squall Warning' was in place for the Berkshires, and the rare thundersnow was observed in North Adams, according to the National Weather Service.
A powerful cold front was moving across the area Wednesday evening, bringing snow squalls and snow showers in the elevated areas of Massachusetts.
[5 pm] Thundersnow in North Adams, MA. A strong cold front sweeps across the region this evening. Snow squalls & snow showers in the high terrain of MA. Roads mainly wet but some minor snow accumulations for elevations above 1000 ft. Elsewhere, rain showers & isolated thunder pic.twitter.com/dthX8RAkpI
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) March 20, 2024
The NWS cautioned about 'intense periods of heavy snow', stating, 'Strong winds causing blowing snow and visibility dropping rapidly to less than one-quarter mile. Wind gusts exceeding 35 mph'.
NWS also added, 'Travel will quickly become difficult and potentially hazardous. Reduce speed and turn on headlights! Visibility may suddenly drop to near zero in whiteout conditions during snow squalls.'
Meteorologist Jim Cantore, who gets extremely excited about thundersnow, was tracking the snow in the Berkshires.
Cantore posted, 'Epic snow squall action complete with thunder and lightning across the Berkshires and now southern VT.'
