Author: Jesse Stewart

Winter is on its way in Massachusetts and here in Berkshire County, we are used to some long, tough, frigid winters. We're pretty equipped with whatever Mother Nature tosses our way. From a few inches of snow to blizzards to power outages we are built for Berkshire winter weather no doubt. Sometimes, we can be taken by surprise and get a decent amount of snow in the fall (remember the Halloween blizzard of 2011) or we can even receive some snow in the spring (remember April 2021). Again, we can take it and we're ready.

In my neighborhood, I joke about how we have the lawnmower wars. When one guy is out mowing, you see other neighbors grab their mowers and start cutting. It's quite the sight. By the way, I am guilty of doing this as well. It pretty much works the same way in the wintertime. One fellow will be out snow blowing and then you'll have two, three, even four of us all lined up. It's a chorus of snowblowers, to say the least.

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All joking aside, one thing that you may or may not know is that in many Massachusetts towns and cities, it's the homeowners' legal responsibility to clear snow and ice from their property. This makes sense as guests walking on your property including relatives, friends, letter carriers, the UPS driver etc. could slip, fall and undergo a major injury if you don't have your property clear of winter weather. How soon you should clear snow and ice from your property is up to individual town/city laws which is the same case regarding if it's the homeowner's responsibility to clear snow and ice from sidewalks/walkways adjacent to his/her property. You can get more information on snow/ice removal laws in Massachusetts by going here. Is your snowblower ready to go for another Berkshire winter?

While we're talking about winter in Massachusetts and Berkshire County, you'll want to check out this information on power outages. 

TIPS: Here's how you can prepare for power outages

Are we in for some nasty weather in Berkshire County? You never know. Take a look at these expensive weather-related disasters. 

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

Do you have weather-related questions? Your answer may be below.

KEEP READING: Get answers to 51 of the most frequently asked weather questions...

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