Low pressure over upstate New York moved east-southeastward across northern Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts during the afternoon and early evening. A warm frontal boundary extending eastward from the low, combined with strong mid-level wind shear, provided the focus for tornado development, both in MA and RI.

Tornado in WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
From 23-OCT-18 15:03:00 to 23-OCT-18 15:06:00 (EST-5)
Location: HARDWICK
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down south of the middle stretch of Patrill Hollow Road in Hardwick around 403 PM EDT.  It then moved northeast, crossing the road and ended up in a wooded area to the northwest of the intersection of Patrill Hollow Road and Czesky Road, to the south of Greenwich Road.  There were several eyewitnesses who saw the tornado. A school teacher at the Eagle Hill School saw it form, touch down, and lift just as quickly as it had touched down.  Another person who was much closer to the circulation saw the swirling of debris.  A third person heard a tremendous roaring sound.  More than 150 trees, many of which were medium to large oaks, were either uprooted or snapped on Patrill Hollow Road.  While most were blown down from southwest to northeast, the survey team did find several that were blown down from east to west, indicating rotation.  Wind speeds were estimated at 90-95 mph, which is classified as EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.  Farther to the east, three very large trees were downed in the Old Cemetery near Hardwick Common.  At an old abandoned gas station, shingles were missing and a metal cover to a pump was blown off.  Next door, a cupola was blown off the roof of the fire department.  It is believed that the wind damage there was from straight-line winds associated with the same storm cell, but not directly from the tornado.

Hail in WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
From 23-OCT-18 15:30:00 to 23-OCT-18 15:35:00 (EST-5)
Location: HUBBARDSTON
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Amateur Radio

Penny-size hail fell on Hubbardston.

Tornado in BRISTOL, MASSACHUSETTS
From 23-OCT-18 15:13:00 to 23-OCT-18 15:15:00 (EST-5)
Location: NORTON
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 20.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

The same storm cell that produced the North Providence and Lincoln, Rhode Island tornado spawned another tornado, which touched down in Norton, MA at approximately 413 PM EDT.  The tornado began on Freeman Street, just north of West Main Street (Route 123).  It traveled to the northeast, cutting across the extreme southern portion of Norton Reservoir and Mansfield Avenue (Route 140), and lifted at the southernmost portion of Reservoir Street around 415 PM EDT.  On Freeman Street, an oak tree was downed with large branches leaning on a house.  Between the reservoir and Mansfield Avenue, numerous oak and pine trees were snapped near their bases.  A tree fell onto a garage causing significant structural damage.  There was some damage to a home, but it was spared any significant damage.  There was very pronounced convergence in the downed trees with some downed from southwest to northeast and others from southeast to northwest.

Tornado in WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
From 23-OCT-18 15:26:00 to 23-OCT-18 15:29:00 (EST-5)
Location: HUBBARDSTON
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Although the NWS did not conduct an on-site survey for this storm, we declared that a tornado touched down in Hubbardston around 426 PM EDT.  The determination was based on doppler radar imagery, damage photos, conversations with town officials, and the history of storms in the region that afternoon.  This tornado was from a separate cell from the one that produced a tornado in Hardwick.  The tornado began on the northernmost island within Brigham Pond.  It traveled to the northeast, crossing near Brigham Street and Evergreen Road, the moved across railroad tracks, and ended in a wooded area a short distance beyond the tracks, to the west of the southern portion of Old Westminster Road.  Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped in half.  A few telephone poles were snapped at the top.  Some siding from a building was discovered on Old Westminster Road.

Thunderstorm Wind in MIDDLESEX, MASSACHUSETTS
From 23-OCT-18 17:35:00 to 23-OCT-18 17:35:00 (EST-5)
Location: SILVER LAKE
Magnitude: 46.00 EG
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Amateur Radio

At 5:35 PM EST, a tree fell on a house on Ohio Street in Wilmington.