Latest news with #22NewsStormTeam
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weather Radar: Showers, thunderstorms move through western Massachusetts
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Some spotty showers are possible Friday afternoon, with the best chance of any showers east of the Connecticut River. More rain develops after midnight and could be heavy at times. Saturday looks to be unsettled with rain that will be heavy at times early in the morning. Some rumbles of thunder are possible. Scattered showers will continue towards the afternoon. Hotter-than-average summer in Massachusetts predicted High temperatures will be around 70 degrees. 22News Storm Team Meteorologist Chris Bouzakis has a look at what we can typically expect in June. The start of June is on Sunday, and that marks the first official month of summer. Meteorological summer begins on June 1st and the summer solstice occurs on June 21st. June is one of our wettest months here in western Massachusetts, with an average of 3.9 inches of rain. The average high temperature for June is 78 degrees, and the average low temperature is 56 degrees. June can be a month of extremes with the record high temperature being 102 degrees set on June 26, 1952, and the record coldest temperature was 32 degrees set on June 3, 1964. June is also the brightest month of the year. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Springfield remembers upcoming 14th anniversary of EF-3 tornado
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – June 1 marks the 14th Anniversary of the devastating tornado that damaged several communities across Western Massachusetts. It's something many still remember very vividly. The 22News Storm Team warned thousands of people about the devastating EF-3 tornado that cut a path of destruction from Westfield to Charlton on June 1, 2011. Temperature outlook for summer in Massachusetts 'One of our guys behind the scenes moved our Springfield Skycam towards the Connecticut River, looking over towards West Springfield,' said Nick Bannin, former 22News Meteorologist. 'And then we saw live on camera a tornado, developing and dropping down into West Springfield, then crossing the Connecticut River.' Trees, buildings and homes were torn down, power was out, and the streets were of Springfield was destroyed. 'I remember my mother and mother-in-law calling me, 'You should stay put,' and me sort of shooing them and saying, 'No, we'll be fine, there'll be no tornado,'' said Denise Hurst, Springfield School Committee Member. 'And then hours later, walking out of this doctor appointment, and just having this very eerie feeling, that I was like the only one that existed in the city.' The tornado damaged several communities in western Massachusetts and killed three people. In Springfield, Mayor Domenic Sarno told 22News that 38 people were severely injured. 'You've got to let people know three things: what happened, one, two, what you're going to do about it, and three, just as important, hope,' said Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. In the hours following the tornado, Mayor Sarno was on the ground with local, state, and federal officials conducting searches and rescues for almost 18 hours a day. Now that the city has recovered, Mayor Sarno keeps the boots he wore on those days in his office as a remembrance. Mayor Sarno encourages everyone to take a moment of silence on Sunday, June 1, at 4:38 p.m. He is also asking local houses of worship to ring their bells at that time to signify the time the tornado touched down in Springfield. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As summer approaches, experts say preparations for severe weather should begin
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – As the summer months approach, severe weather will too. Experts told 22News, if a weather alert is issued, you want to be weather aware too. That means pay attention to the weather on TV, apps, and outdoors. At the beginning of May, Meteorologists start to see thunderstorms that can become severe across Western Massachusetts. 'We're talking about wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, we're talking about hail with some of these storms, of course, lightning, and of course, very heavy rain could cause flash flooding,' said Adam Strzempko, Meteorologist, 22News Storm Team. Information on each potential storm is gathered by our 22News Storm Team from the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma. As a storm gets closer, it's monitored, then Adam Strzempko said it's important to know the difference between a warning and a watch issued by the National Weather Service. 'They'll issue a severe thunderstorm watch or perhaps a tornado watch, and that means the area we're watching for the potential of severe weather, and then if severe weather develops, a severe thunderstorm warning will be issued, which means severe weather is occurring,' said Adam Strzempko, 22News Storm Team Meteorologist. Sheltering indoors and having essentials is always recommended. Experts told 22News, don't wait until severe weather hits to get the supplies you need, because items are typically gone before the storm starts and ends. 'You want to make sure you have plenty of flashlights available, there are full batteries in there to make sure to can see if the power goes out. Make sure all your devices are charged, cell phones, radios, anything you need,' said Brian Bowler, Marketing Director at Rocky's Ace Hardware. If there is heavy rain, there is a lot of cleanup that might be needed to be done inside the home. 'You might need a utility pump, or sump pump to make sure you can get that water out, box fans, mops,' said Bowler. If you have to clean up outside of your home, it's highly recommended to keep safety top of mind. 'Having a good working chainsaw, make sure it's working, it's well-oiled, maintained, and cleaned,' said Bowler. While severe weather can cause a lot of damage, utility companies and hardware shops can help if repairs are needed. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
WEATHER ALERT: Strong to severe thunderstorms expected Saturday afternoon
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The 22News Storm Team issued a Weather Alert for widespread strong, potentially severe, thunderstorms expected Saturday afternoon. Friday after 3 p.m., chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms begin. The best chance for showers and thunderstorms is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday. If you're going to be outside on Friday afternoon/evening, keep an eye on the radar and have a quick indoor alternative ready! High temperatures on Friday will be in the low to mid-80s. How Massachusetts weather is impacting the growing season for flowers Saturday will start with some patchy fog and drizzle. The best chance for showers and thunderstorms on Saturday is the 'middle' of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Severe weather is possible on Saturday through 9 p.m. Make outdoor plans with thunderstorms in mind. Sunday will continue the wet trend while dropping the risk for severe weather. Inconsistent showers are expected through most of the usable day. Highs will drop into the low 70s. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Recent rain helps restore soil moisture levels in western Massachusetts
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – It continues to be a pretty wet month with a few more showers around on Thursday. The good news is that the drought is over, and we're almost back to normal. We've had quite a few rainy days this month, and that has really helped us out with our drought that started last fall. 22News Storm Team Meteorologist Chris Bouzakis says, 'We're just about halfway through the month, and we've already seen almost above average with our rainfall for a full monthly total. The average rainfall for May is 3.7 inches, and we're just under 4 inches of rain for the month so far.' The rain has also been beneficial for area farmers. Joe Calabrese with Calabrese Farms in Southwick told 22News, 'We needed it, the ground was really dry starting this spring, it is helping going into the beginning of summer when we're going to get hotter and we may not get the rain, so building up the moisture now is a plus.' The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows just far eastern Hampden and Hampshire Counties in the abnormally dry category. The rest of western Massachusetts is back to normal. While the rain has helped us out with the drought, too much rain can lead to problems. 'All that rain can only go into a couple of spots, the rivers, the creeks, and the streams, so that raises the water levels pretty fast, and that will give you some minor flooding,' Bouzakis adds. Earlier this week, we saw some minor flooding along the Connecticut River. Fortunately, the river level has come down quite a bit from what it was earlier in the week. You can see how high the water was along the Connecticut River in Agawa,m but it continues to recede. With more rain in the forecast, we'll have to continue to keep a close eye on area rivers. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
