Unexpected April Snow: Why New England Got a Late Surprise

On a chilly April morning, some Massachusetts residents rubbed their eyes in disbelief as light snowflakes drifted down from a gray sky. While the ground temperature hovered just above freezing, higher up in the atmosphere, the air was cold enough to turn moisture into snow that actually reached the surface. In Boston, where spring usually feels settled by April, this late-season flurry was a gentle reminder that weather doesn’t always stick to the calendar. Residents outside the main city belt, like in parts of Central and Western Massachusetts, weren’t so lucky. Places just north and west of Boston reported small amounts of snow sticking to cars and patches of grass. A few spots, like Ashfield in Franklin County, even measured two inches on the ground. The reason? A weather pattern called orographic lift forces warm, moist air upward over hills and mountains, cooling it quickly and producing snow instead of rain. This explains why western areas saw more snow than the coast.A closer look at records shows April snow isn’t exactly rare, but it’s definitely unusual in recent decades. Boston typically sees about 1. 3 inches for the entire month. Before this year, the last time the city got more than an inch was in 2018. And while a total of 6 inches hasn’t been recorded since 2016, the record holder remains the historic April Fool’s Day blizzard of 1997, which dumped over 22 inches on the city. On average, Boston’s last measurable snowfall happens around March 29, but the latest recorded in history was as late as May 10, 1977. For inland towns like Worcester, Lowell, and Providence, April snowfall is hard to predict. Some years bring nothing, while others surprise with higher totals. Even though these late surprises are short-lived, they often leave residents amused—or slightly annoyed—when spring feels so close yet just out of reach.