UPDATE: High winds wreaked havoc across Greater Lowell on February 3, 2023, toppling trees and downing power lines as emergency crews rushed to respond. Thousands of residents were left without electricity, with reports of damage flooding emergency radio broadcasts throughout the day.
In the Belvidere neighborhood of Lowell, a tree snapped and fell on power lines on River Road, prompting police to close the roadway. Local resident Williana Aquino returned home to find the chaos. “When I called my partner about the fallen tree, he told me he had received National Grid alerts about outages in the area,” she recounted.
Roads across Greater Lowell were littered with branches and downed trees. A significant incident occurred on Pawtucket Boulevard around noon when a tree fell, causing police to block outbound traffic until crews cleared the scene. Another tree collapsed at the entrance of Greater Lowell Technical High School in Tyngsboro, bringing down power lines and disrupting traffic light operations.
The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory ahead of the storm. Meteorologist Torry Dooley described the situation as “a robust wind storm” linked to a potent cold front. “Winds aloft were gusting over 100 mph,” Dooley said, adding that ground gusts reached 40 to 60 mph, with a peak gust of 81 mph reported at the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton.
Despite the fierce winds, temperatures climbed into the upper 50s, giving the day a spring-like feel. The southerly winds contributed to this warmth, mixing the strong upper-level winds with the surface. By 5 p.m., National Grid reported nearly 800 active outages statewide, affecting approximately 36,500 customers. Crews were deployed to restore power as thousands in Greater Lowell faced intermittent outages.
While reports of downed trees and branches on vehicles surfaced, the NWS confirmed no significant structural damage from the storm. As the strongest gusts subsided late Friday afternoon, the wind advisory remained in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday, with residual gusts of 35 to 45 mph expected overnight.
Looking ahead, calmer weather is forecast for Saturday, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures dipping into the 20s overnight. Stay tuned for further updates as conditions evolve.
For the latest updates, follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
