rated F5. On the morning of June 9, the low pressure system had moved northeastward into Ontario near the south end of Hudson Bay. An occluded front extended south from it, towards a triple point with a warm front and cold front near the northern end of Lake Superior. The warm front extended southeast across New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and over the course of the day moved northeast, bringing warm, moist, unstable air into the New England area, including Massachusetts. In the mid-atmosphere, the elevated mixed layer was still in place, keeping storms from forming earlier in the day before maximum temperatures were reached. By afternoon, temperatures in Worcester had reached , with a dew point of ; in combination with cold air aloft, this meant that atmospheric conditions were very unstable and conducive to severe weather. Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Boston believed that there was a possibility for tornado activity in the area, but decided not to include it in their forecast for the day in fear that they would cause panic among local citizens. 1953 was the first year that tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were used, so forecasters compromised and issued the first severe thunderstorm watch in the history of Massachusetts. Most news reports only made mentions of possible thunderstorms. Because of this, the tornado struck with little to no warning for residents. Tornado event The tornado descended over the Quabbin Reservoir in Petersham, Massachusetts, at 4:25 P.M., and was witnessed by boaters on the reservoir - three funnels were seen at the beginning, with rapid dissipation of one of them. After brushing Petersham (occasionally with twin funnels several hundred feet apart), the tornado tracked southeastwards and slammed into the rural towns of Barre and Rutland, with two fatalities occurring at each of these locations. The now massive tornado then tore directly through suburban Holden, completely wiping out the Brentwood Estates subdivision, resulting in fatalities. At 5:08 P.M., the tornado entered Worcester and grew to a width of . Damage was phenomenal in Worcester (second-largest city in Massachusetts) and in some areas equaled the worst damage in any U.S. tornado. Hardest-hit areas included Assumption College (building is now home to Quinsigamond Community College), where a priest and two nuns were killed. The main building's -thick brick walls were reduced by three floors, and the landmark tower lost three stories. A nearby