Massachusetts lightning map
Massachusetts thunderstorms concentrate in summer afternoons, often along cold fronts and sea-breeze boundaries across southern New England.
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Detected from NOAA GOES-19 GLM satellite data. Aggregate count for Massachusetts — your exact location and alerts live in the app.
About lightning in Massachusetts
Massachusetts concentrates its thunderstorms in summer afternoons, when cold fronts and sea-breeze boundaries off the coast trigger lift across southern New England. Storms can build and move quickly, especially inland. The active window runs June through August. Because they often strike from the leading edge, knowing how far the nearest flash is — and whether it is closing in — gives you time the sky does not.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 25
- US rank
- #40 of 50
- Peak season
- June–August
State thunderstorm-day normals are provisional (NOAA/NWS); per-city climate data is shown where a station normal is published.
Cities in Massachusetts
Lightning safety in Massachusetts
When storms build across Massachusetts, the distance to the nearest strike matters more than a statewide count. Follow the 30-30 rule: if thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, get indoors, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back out. If you can hear thunder, you are already close enough to be struck. StrikeCast surfaces the live distance and trend so you can act before the storm reaches you.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and push alerts for every place that matters across Massachusetts — home, work, the kids' school.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm days does Massachusetts get?
Massachusetts averages about 25 thunderstorm days a year, versus a US average near 25 — roughly 1× the national norm. Activity peaks June–August.
Where does Massachusetts rank for lightning in the US?
By mean annual thunderstorm days, Massachusetts ranks #40 of 50 states. Rankings use NOAA/NWS climate normals; the live distance and trend on this page come from NOAA GOES-19 satellite data.
When is thunderstorm season in Massachusetts?
Lightning is most frequent June–August in Massachusetts.
How does StrikeCast track lightning in Massachusetts?
StrikeCast reads NOAA GOES-19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) satellite data, updated continuously, to show how far away the nearest strike is and whether it is approaching or moving away. Save any place in Massachusetts in the free app to get a push alert when lightning closes in.