Remembering the Historic Spring Snowstorm of May 9-10, 1977

Contributed by Eleanor Vallier-Talbot

The May 9-10, 1977 snowstorm’s broad surface low pressure began to form during the night of May 8. By 8 AM on May 9, the surface low was east of the Mid -Atlantic coast and rapidly intensified southeast of Cape Cod through the afternoon of the 9th. Precipitation started out as a mix and changed over to heavy, wet snow. Heaviest snow fell from midday on the 9th into the early morning hours of the 10th. Highest snow amounts were reported across the higher terrain of northwest Rhode Island, the Worcester hills and the Berkshires of Massachusetts into portions of eastern and central New York.

Winchester, Connecticut on May 10, 1977. Photo from the Digital Snow Archive; originally from the New York Times.

Impacts: There was extensive tree damage due to the heavy snow taking down fully leaved trees and large limbs. Many power lines were snapped as well. Over 600,000 people were without power across Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island. It took hundreds of power crews several days to restore power across the region. There was also a varying degrees of fruit crop damage reported (Credit: Weekly Weather and Crop Report, U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Dept. of Agriculture, May 17, 1977) Record May snowfall was reported in Worcester (12.7″), the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton (7.8″), Providence area (7.5″), and Windsor Locks (1.3″). Boston recorded 0.5 inches of snow for this event, the second measurable May snowfall dating back to 1891 as 0.9 inches fell on May 8, 1938. This date is also the latest measurable snowfall at Boston and Providence, the 2nd latest at Worcester (#1 – 1.5″ on May 11-12, 1945) and the only measurable May snow event in Windsor Locks dating back to 1905.