Worcester, MA F1 Tornado of October 24, 1955


Figure 1 depicts the surface observations at 2:30 am EDT, which shows a cold front moving across the Great Lakes and a warm front across the northeast United States. This cold front likely became the focus for thunderstorms in the evening hours of October 24th, which ultimately led to this F1 tornado.

Figure 1. Surface weather map for October 24, 1955 at 2:30 am EDT (NOAA, 2019).

The Worcester, MA F1 tornado of October 24, 1955 impacted Worcester County in Massachusetts. According to NOAA (2019), the F1 tornado caused no fatalities or injuries, but caused $2.5 thousand dollars in property damage. The tornado touched down in Worcester County west of Grove Street at 7:00 pm EDT. The tornado travelled for 3 miles and had a maximum width of 33 yards.


Sources

NOAA Central Library. (2019). U.S. Daily Weather Maps. Monday October 24, 1955 [PDF]. Retrieved from https://library.noaa.gov/Collections/Digital-Collections/US-Daily-Weather-Maps

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (2019). Storm Events Database. Retrieved from: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/