Massachusetts
50+ Massachusetts beaches closed for swimming by Department of Public Health. See where
Ever Wonder What the Beach Flags Mean?
For your safety, learn what the beach flags mean
As we enter the last stretch of summer before school starts, there is no better way spend a day than relaxing at one of the Bay State’s beautiful beaches.
However, the number of closed beaches in Massachusetts keeps getting higher. This weekend, over 50 beaches are closed due to unsafe swimming water.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) states that swimming in the water at these closed beaches poses a threat of illness due to high levels of bacteria. Symptoms can range from nausea and vomiting to a sore throat and fever.
Here’s a full list of closed beaches to avoid when planning your weekend.
What beaches in Massachusetts are currently closed due to bacteria?
The following MA beaches, listed by town, are closed as of Friday, Aug. 16:
- Amherst:
- Puffers Pond (Bacterial Exceedance, Other)
- Stanley St. swimming hole at Cushman Bridge (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Ashby: Damon Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Ashland: Ashland Reservoir Main Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Barnstable:
- Wequaquet Lake Town (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Wequaquet Lake Yacht Club (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Braintree: Smith Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Brewster: Upper Mill Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Concord: Walden Pond (Other)
- Danvers: Sandy Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Framingham: Learned Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Grafton: Silver Lake Beach (Other)
- Harwich: Sand Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Haverhill: Plugs Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Holland: Collette Drive Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Kingston: Gray’s (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Lowell: Merrimac River (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Lynn:
- Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Lynn Shore Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Nahant: Nahant Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Natick: Cochituate State Park Beach (Bacterial Exceedance, Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- North Andover:
- Frye Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Stevens Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Northampton: Musante Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Oxford: Carbuncle Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Plymouth: Nelson Park (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Quincy: Norton Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Salem:
- Camp Naumkeag (Other)
- Children’s Island (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Ocean Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Willow Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Saugus: Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Shutesbury: Lake Wyola (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Springfield: Bass Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Swampscott: Kings (Other)
- Templeton:
- Beamans Pond Campground (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Beamans Pond Day Use (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Townsend: Pearl Hill Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Truro: Longnook (Other)
- Wayland: Wayland Town Beach (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- West Stockbridge: Card Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- West Tisbury: Seth’s Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Westborough: Lake Chauncy Beach (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Westfield: Hampton Ponds Kingsley Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Winchendon: Lake Dennison State Park (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Winchester: Shannon Beach at Upper Mystic (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Winthrop: Halford (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Worcester:
- Indian Lake Public Beach at Sherburne Ave (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
- Lake Quinsigamond-Regatta Point Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
- Shore Park (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Most beaches are closed due to bacterial exceedance, meaning the levels of bacteria in the water are higher than the limits set by the MDPH.
Those in the “other” category can be closed due to a variety of chemical or physical hazards, such as riptides and poor visibility.
Beach weather this weekend: AccuWeather warning about rip currents developing this weekend from storm off coast
When will beaches in Massachusetts re-open?
According to the MDPH website, beaches can only re-open when their bacteria levels are back within the safe range, so there is no set amount of time for a closure.
The status of a closed beach can be checked on the website’s water quality dashboard, which is updated at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. daily.
National Hurricane Center cautioning beachgoers in the Atlantic
Forecasters are warning beachgoers about possible “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” this weekend because of Hurricane Ernesto. The storm is not predicted to make landfall in New England.
“Even if Ernesto stays well offshore of the U.S. East Coast, beach goers should be aware of a significant risk of deadly rip currents beginning later this week,” the National Hurricane Center said earlier this week.
Riptides or rip currents are powerful currents of water that can pull people away from shore, according to the National Weather Service. They can be deadly: data from the NWS shows rip currents have killed almost 30 people this year alone.
If caught in a rip current, the NWS says to yell for help and remain calm and stay afloat while waiting for help. Do not swim directly against a riptide, rather swim parallel to the shore.
Melina Khan contributed to this report.
Massachusetts
Drought expected to worsen, raising risk for dangerous brush fires in Massachusetts
BOSTON – New month, same old weather story. The warm and dry conditions are expected to continue for at least the first half of November.
Brush fire concerns remain atop the headlines. Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be very warm and windy and we are likely to see some renewed red flag warnings posted around southern New England.
Needless to say, any and all outdoor burning is a terrible idea right now and should be avoided at all costs.
Both Boston and Worcester continue to be at or near the record for driest meteorological fall.
Other than a few sprinkles, this week is expected to be just about bone dry. Our next chance of any significant rainfall looks to be early next week.
Therefore, we expect the drought conditions to worsen again this week. We will get an update of the Drought Monitor on Thursday and the percentage of both moderate and severe drought areas in Massachustts could climb significantly.
For the third straight week, we will see a big jump in temperatures for a few days. The warmest days this week will be Tuesday and Wednesday.
There is a high probability of breaking records Wednesday afternoon with highs expected to climb well into the 70s.
Keep in mind that average highs this time of year are in the mid 50s.
Combine that with some very gusty winds over the next few days and you have a recipe for dangerous and rapidly spreading brush fires.
Boston area forecast
No weather issues expected at the polls on Tuesday. Mild and breezy conditions all day long.
Later this week, (Thursday through the weekend) temperatures will come back to near normal but still no significant rainfall expected. Looks like another very pleasant weekend.
Lastly, we will be monitoring a new Tropical Depression this week. It is expected to become a hurricane (Rafael) by Wednesday and then head into the Gulf of Mexico later this week. We will have much more on this in the coming days.
Massachusetts
Brush fire continues burning in Massachusetts and more top stories
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Massachusetts
Massachusetts Firefighters Battle Unprecedented October Brush Fires
Firefighters are grappling with persistent brush fires throughout Massachusetts, prompting officials to urge caution to prevent new incidents. Over the past week, hundreds of acres suffered damage in the greater Boston area, with additional blazes emerging in western and central regions. Typically, October sees around 15 wildland fires; however, this year that number skyrocketed to 200, paralleling figures from the more traditional spring fire season. Fire officials noted human activity as the cause for all fires that occurred in the last week of the month, which led some communities to cancel school and Halloween events.
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued a “red flag” warning for eastern Massachusetts due to dry, warm conditions increasing fire risk. Open burning is prohibited statewide through January, and fire officials have advised against outdoor cooking, heating, and using power tools, as hot engines can ignite dry vegetation. Additionally, residents are warned against carelessly discarding cigarette butts in hazardous areas. On Saturday, a Boston man faced charges related to a Milford fire, located 40 miles west of Boston; he was charged with setting fire to another’s land and burning land, trees, lumber, and produce.
Chief Fire Warden David Celino reported that more than a quarter of this year’s fires occurred in October, accounting for over half of the 1,158 acres burned so far. “The weather conditions and dry surface fuels…are expected to continue,” warned Celino. State Fire Marshal Jon Davine emphasized that nearly 45% of homes are near potential fire zones, where activities like outdoor cooking or using power equipment often ignite blazes. (This story was generated by Newser’s AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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