Big Storms Visit Northern New Hampshire: A Super Simple Report

What Happened on Tuesday?

On Tuesday, the sky got angry in the northern part of New Hampshire (a state also called the Granite State).
News 9 (a local TV news team) sent their special weather car called the Storm Watch 9 Storm Tracker to follow and watch the weather.

The Weather in Columbia and Lancaster

Earlier in the evening, the news crew saw some wild weather:

• In a town called Columbia:
  • Heavy rain (lots of water falling from the sky)
  • Flashes of lightning (bright lights in the clouds)
  • They heard hail (tiny ice balls) hitting the roof of their Storm Tracker car.
• In Lancaster, they saw dark, heavy clouds before a severe thunderstorm watch — that’s like a grown‑up saying, “Big thunder storms might come soon, so be ready!”
• As the night went on, the rain, thunder, and lightning got quieter in Lancaster around 10 p.m.

Storm Chasers Come to Watch and Help

Because the weather system could be dangerous — bringing risks of severe thunderstorms, high winds, and even tornadoes (giant spinning wind funnels) — storm chasers came to northern New Hampshire.
Storm chasers are people who follow storms to see what happens and help others.

Meet Henry Swenson

He is a storm chaser from Massachusetts. He said:

“I definitely knew that today was going to be like a legitimate threat.”

That means he knew the day was going to be a real danger.

Meet Griffin Klien

He is a storm chaser from Maine. He said:

“Right now, I have a chainsaw and a first aid kit with me for this. But I usually carry the chainsaw at all times, but I usually bulk up my med kit for chases because you never know what you’re going to see.”

In simple words: he carries a tool to cut trees (chainsaw) and a box of bandages and medicines (first aid kit) in case someone gets hurt.

The storm chasers were ready to:

• Share what they saw with other people.
• Give first aid (help hurt people) if a storm injured someone.

The Storm in Jefferson

In the town of Jefferson:

• Heavy rain came with lightning strikes.
• The storm moved south (like walking downward on a map).
• It was hard to see because of the rain and strong winds.

>> See coverage of Jefferson and surrounding areas in the video player below <<
(If you are on the original news page, you can watch that video there.)

How to Stay Weather Aware (Get Alerts!)

Here are easy steps to get warnings on your phone or TV:

1. Download the WMUR app on your phone (WMUR is the news station).
2. Turn on push notifications (let messages pop up on your screen).
3. Choose to receive weather alerts for:
   • Your phone’s location (geolocation – that just means where your phone knows you are)
   • Or up to three ZIP codes (those are number labels for your town area).
4. You can also get a message when precipitation (rain or snow) is coming to your area.
5. On your smart TV, get the free Very Local app to watch storm coverage.
6. Follow the Storm Watch 9 team on social media to see their updates.

Important Point: Be weather aware! That means pay attention to the sky and listen to warnings so you can stay safe. Download the WMUR app and turn on alerts as described above.

Summary

On Tuesday, northern New Hampshire had scary weather with rain, lightning, hail, and possible tornadoes. News 9 tracked it in Columbia and Lancaster, where it calmed by 10 p.m. Storm chasers from nearby states came prepared with chainsaws and first aid kits to help. Jefferson also saw heavy rain and low visibility. You can stay safe by downloading weather apps and watching for alerts.

FAQ

What is a storm chaser?

A storm chaser is a person who goes toward big storms to watch them, share news, and sometimes help people who get hurt.

Why do storm chasers carry chainsaws?

Strong winds can knock down trees. A chainsaw helps cut those trees to clear roads or free people who might be stuck.

What does “severe thunderstorm watch” mean?

It means weather experts think a big thunder storm with strong wind or hail might happen soon, so everyone should be ready.

How can I get weather alerts on my phone?

Download the WMUR app, turn on notifications, and pick your phone’s location or up to three ZIP codes to get warnings.

What is hail?

Hail is like little balls of ice that fall from big storm clouds during thunderstorms.