DAYS 1-5 (JUNE 6-10)
The systems on the weather map today and over the next several days might resemble an array of toys in a toddler’s play area. Lots of stuff in play to influence our sensible weather today, this weekend, and early next week. Avoiding a long descriptive run of words that would tire you out as much as cleaning up after the toddler, here’s as concise a summary as I can muster… Today, we have an approaching cold front still well to the west with a warm and humid air mass in place, a pre-frontal disturbance, and the development of both a South Coast sea breeze and East Coast sea breeze. Initially the disturbance is already causing a cluster of showers / t-storms in north central MA to the NH border. In the very short term (up to 9:00 a.m.) this cluster will initially build heading toward the I-495 belt from near Rt. 2 to southern NH, but should then fade while drifting east. This area will be briefly strong with some hail probable and perhaps some damaging wind gusts. Look for 2 more areas of showers / t-storms to fire off this afternoon – one in a similar region to this morning’s, somewhere north of I-90 and well west of I-95, another triggered by the South Coast sea breeze boundary somewhere near I-90, most likely west of I-95 (watch radar if possible to see this in real-time). The first batch should drift east northeast in response to the disturbance triggering it, while the second batch drifts more to the north in response to the South Coast sea breeze boundary. The East Coast sea breeze boundary may act as a barrier to the storms’ ability to push into or east of the I-95 belt – something else we’ll have to watch once the activity develops. During the peak of today’s convective activity, the most organized storms can produce torrential rain with local flooding, frequent lightning, and isolated damaging wind gusts. With the loss of daytime heating and the washing out of the sea breeze boundaries, we’ll be left with a mainly cloudy evening and overnight with just isolated showers and patchy fog forming. Saturday, the cold front mentioned previously will be moving slowly but more steadily across the region from northwest to southeast. While it will be a little cooler than today it will still be humid and we can see some isolated to scattered showers ahead of it, and then likely a more organized band of showers along it as it traverses the region from about noon to about sunset – not in a great hurry. Part of the reason for this is an offshore low pressure system which initially helps limit the front from being active, and delays its arrival as well. We will see if the front ends up under-producing its potential due to that offshore system – something we see at times. Thunderstorm chances are lower Saturday due to the lack of solar heating and resultant instability in the atmosphere. Drier weather follows the frontal passage Saturday night into Sunday, but the front isn’t going that far and tries to make a run back our way later Sunday with at least more clouds and possibly some additional wet weather Sunday night. Currently, I’m optimistic that an area of high pressure will dry us out again for Monday, with just enough push to get the job done. But that won’t last long as the next trough and frontal system comes along from the west on Tuesday, returning clouds and showery weather to the region – details TBD.
TODAY: Most of the sun shines through wildfire smoke in eastern MA, RI, and eastern CT early morning, otherwise mostly cloudy. Showers and thundrstorms in a cluster north central to interior northeastern MA and adjacent southern NH early to mid morning, diminishing to showers while drifting to the east. Additional scattered to clustered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, favoring areas near and north of I-90 and west of I-95. Highs 78-85 except 70-77 South Coast. Dew point 60+. Wind SW to variable 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers. Areas of fog. Lows 62-69. Dew point 60+. Wind variable to SW up to 10 MPH.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers morning-midday, then more widespread showers move through northwest to southeast afternoon. Highs 68-75 coast, 75-82 inland. Wind variable, mainly SE to S up to 10 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy with a chance of showers early, favoring eastern MA and RI, then partly cloudy. Lows 55-62. Wind shifting to NW 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Sun/cloud mix, then mostly cloudy by late-day. Evening shower potential south and west of Boston. Highs 71-78. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers. Lows 55-62. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
MONDAY: Clouds thin for sun but wildfire smoke aloft potential again. Highs 68-75, coolest coast. Wind N to E up to 10 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Clouds re-thicken. Lows 55-62. Wind SE up to 10 MPH.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Showers likely. Chance of thunderstorms. Highs 68-75. Wind S 5-15 MPH.
DAYS 6-10 (JUNE 11-15)
A drier westerly air flow returns middle of next week but still a shower chance with a trough passing by later June 11 or June 12. Cautiously optimistic that high pressure will control with a dry weather stretch late next week, but this is not high confidence as there are hints of blocking and some guidance is not so “fair”.
DAYS 11-15 (JUNE 16-20)
Indications are for fair weather early and end of period / unsettled later mid period. No major temperature extremes indicated.