NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Northfield, VT
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Northfield, Vermont since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 3
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Northfield
The strongest storm to pass near Northfield was Carol in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Northfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 17 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities on this site, 36% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Northfield. The highest rating among the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF1, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 26, 2021, came within 25 miles. Of the 75 Vermont cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Northfield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Northfield has more hail reports within 10 miles than 61% of the 75 Vermont cities.
Compare Northfield's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Northfield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 71 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Northfield: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Northfield
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2000s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2021 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.65 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 9, 2009 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2009 | EF0 | 8 mi | 2.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Northfield
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Northfield since 1961, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 26, 2011. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. July has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Northfield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Northfield, VT, 2 miles north of Northfield at 670 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 6°F. July is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 44.8 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 44.8 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 79°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 181 nights a year. Snowfall averages 75.8 inches a year, most of it in December. That 44.8 inches is more than at 23 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (70%). Williamstown, 6 miles east, has its own station (Barre Montpelier Airport, VT): 38.7 inches a year, 6.1 less than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 6 | 3.2 | 7 | 17.9 |
| Feb | 32 | 7 | 2.7 | 6 | 15.0 |
| Mar | 41 | 17 | 3.1 | 7 | 13.9 |
| Apr | 54 | 29 | 3.7 | 8 | 3.3 |
| May | 68 | 41 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 51 | 4.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 55 | 5.0 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 53 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 46 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 35 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 26 | 3.4 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Dec | 35 | 15 | 3.7 | 9 | 21.3 |
| Year | 56 | 32 | 44.8 | 95 | 75.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Northfield, VT (670 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Northfield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Northfield: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 10 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $111.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 18, 2018. July has had the most flash floods, 12 of 21. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 64 have had fewer than Northfield.
July 11, 2023: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Northfield — 1 killed, $100.0 million damage.
July 4, 2013: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Northfield — 1 injured.
May 26, 2011: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Northfield — $5.0 million damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Northfield's ZIP code 05663 have filed 56 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 38 claims (68% of all) and $2.1 million. 82% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 43 Vermont cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 31 have fewer than Northfield.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 38 | $2.1 million |
Washington County, which includes Northfield, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 28 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 13 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on August 20, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.2 million a year, the 3rd highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.6 million (79%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.