7:33AM

Good morning all! Forecast looks fine so far, so here’s a short little update. We will see patchy high cloudiness today that will filter the sun at times as it turns a little warmer aloft, but down here at the surface it starts out quite cold after a triple-C night and recovers back toward 30 by late day as a southwest wind gets going. This southwest flow will actually allow temperatures to rise tonight as clouds move in ahead of a low pressure wave and approaching cold front. The front passes through during Monday and the low pressure wave passes south of southern New England, but it will be a weak combination of systems with limited moisture, mild enough for rain ending as a mix of rain/snow Cape Cod, Islands, and immediate South Coast of MA and RI, a mix of rain/sleet/snow ending as snow elsewhere south of Boston, maybe some brief mix around Boston going to snow, and snow elsewhere to the west and north. But this precipitation will be patchy and on the light side, so look for very small accumulation where the frozen stuff falls, on the order of less than 1 inch, except possibly a little over 1 inch from near I-495 westward in the region north of the Mass Pike, if the system delivers enough moisture.

Beyond that, cold air gets pulled in a little stronger Tuesday and hangs around at midweek as low pressure develops off the East Coast again but stays south and east of New England later Thursday into Friday, pulling down one more shot of cold air on Friday into Saturday before a moderation arrives later Saturday.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Sunshine filtered at times by high cloudiness. Temperatures rise toward 30 by late. Wind W to SW 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Temperatures rise to 30-35 except 35-40 South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Periods of light rain to mix south, mix to snow north. See above for accumulation. Highs 35-40 early then cooling slowly to 30-35. Wind SW 5-15 MPH becoming variable then N to NW.
TUESDAY: Clearing. Temperatures steady in 20s during day.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 30.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 15. High 35.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 20. High 30.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 35.

8:06AM

WHAT’S UP FOR THE WEEKEND…
Lots of dry air and typical January cold in place for this weekend as high pressure dominates, though with the center of the high to the southwest of southern New England and broad low pressure in Canada, this will allow for a gusty breeze at times today. This gradient and resultant wind will relax Sunday. Sunshine will be brightest today and filtered at times Sunday as high cloudiness crosses the sky in response to some warming aloft.

WORK WEEK WORRIES?…
By Monday, low pressure will organize southwest of the region and pass out to sea to the south at night and early Tuesday, but close enough for a light snow and mix precipitation event late Monday and Monday night. Dry and chilly weather returns during Tuesday and lasts through at least midweek. A second, more potent storm is expected to form off the East Coast later in the week, though early indications from most reliable information show this system staying south and southeast of New England late Thursday and Friday. Will watch, in case…

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Bright sun. Highs in the 20s. Wind W 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 10-18, touch colder some interior valleys. Wind light WSW.
SUNDAY: Filtered sun. Highs around 30. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Cloudy. PM light snow/mix. Low 15. High 35.
TUESDAY: Clearing. Temperatures fall into 20s.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny. Low 10. High 30.
THURSDAY: Clouding up. Low 15. High 35.
FRIDAY: Clearing. Low 20. High 30.

3:27PM

A quick breather as the temperature actually goes up tonight following the short-lived but very sharp shot of Arctic air. But another cold front will come charging across southeastern New England Friday morning from west to east, accompanied by strong wind gusts and snow showers with minor accumulation, but possibly enough to briefly slick-up some roads. By late Friday, we’re into the cold again, though not to the degree of which we just saw. The weekend will be dry and cold. The early and middle portion of next week continue to look cloudier and possibly unsettled as a series of low pressure areas try to get going to the south. It’s still very early, but the trend at this point is to keep them on the weak side and to the south, but close enough for some periods of snow/mix at least in southern and eastern areas of southern New England sometime during the Monday through Thursday period. You won’t find much detail in the extended portion of the outlook below due to the uncertainty in details and timing of low pressure waves.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Temperatures rising into the 20s. Wind SW 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with snow showers crossing the region west to east during the morning, accumulating a coating to as much as 1 inch, except possibly a few amounts over 1 inch over central MA and interior southern NH. Partly to mostly sunny afternoon. Highs around 30 early then falling through the 20s. Wind SW 15-35 MPH with higher gusts, shifting to W.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 5-10 remote suburbs north and west of Boston, 10-15 elsewhere. Wind WNW 10-20 MPH gusting to 30 MPH.
SATURDAY: Sunny. Highs 20-25. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting to 30 MPH.
SUNDAY: Sun and high clouds. Low 10. High 30.
MONDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix South Coast. Low 25. High 35.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. Periods of snow/mix possible. Lows 20-30. Highs 30-40.

7:29AM

A pure Arctic air mass arrives today with the passage of a cold front this afternoon. This front may produce snow squalls that can briefly reduce visibility and cover roadways with snow. It’s uncertain if everybody will see these or they will be more scattered in nature, but be prepared for sudden changes in visibility and road conditions if you will be driving. Before that arrives some moisture coming off the waters just south of New England may bring a few snow showers to Cape Cod and the Islands this morning. The core of the coldest air will pass through southeastern New England tonight and Thursday along with strong and gusty wind, with very low wind chills resulting. Protect yourself if you plan to be outside at all. A second disturbance and front will push through the region early Friday with another risk of snow showers and possible snow squalls. The push of cold air behind this will not be as strong as what comes just before it, but winds may end up stronger, so again it will be a low wind chill day. The cold continues but slowly eases during the course of the weekend and early next week. By Monday and Tuesday we’ll have to keep an eye on some offshore unsettled weather which will at least spread some cloudiness into the region and perhaps some light snow or mixed precipitation. The overall pattern is now cold and dry, however.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Sun and passing clouds. Chance of snow showers Cape Cod and Islands morning and midday. Chance of snow showers and possible heavier snow squalls this afternoon. Any squalls could briefly bring heavy snow with reduced visibility and a quick covering of the ground. Highs around 25 through early afternoon then falling into the 10s. Wind W 5-15 MPH through midday, shifting to NW and increasing to 15-25 MPH with gusts to 35 MPH during the afternoon.
TONIGHT: Clear. Lows from around -5 to +5, coldest northwest of Boston, least cold Cape Cod / Islands. Wind NW 15-30 MPH with higher gusts. Wind chill of -10 to -25.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Highs 15-20. Wind NW 15-25 MPH and gusty. Wind chill -10 or colder at times.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with snow showers likely AM. Mostly sunny with isolated snow showers PM. Low 10. High 30 but falling again later.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 30.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix south. Low 20. High 35.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Chance of light snow/mix. Low 25. High 35.

7:27AM

COMMENTARY/DISCUSSION…
“The coldest air in years is coming!” etc etc. … Overstated by the media, as usual. Yes, it’s going to get very cold. The air came from Siberia, straight over the North Pole, across Canada, and will plunge into the Northeast at midweek. But it is far from the coldest air in years. For some areas, perhaps the coldest temperatures since 2011 will be realized. But it’s not like 2011 was all that long ago. And last Winter was a cold one, much more sustained cold than we have seen so far in this fairly young Winter. I’m just saying, we really need to look beyond the sensationalist headlines that dominate weather-related news stories. After all, shouldn’t be we worried about that 2000 mile-wide swath of snow that’s coming across the Midwest? Oh wait, that’s just a fancy description for a weak clipper low pressure system. Never mind! ………. In reality, that clipper will be making a run at southern New England today and tonight but transfer most of its energy to a developing offshore low, and the already weak system will only deliver patchy light snow at best with no significant accumulation. An arctic cold front will sweep across the region Wednesday and may set off some snow showers and heavier snow squalls. We’ll have to watch for briefly very low visibility and slippery roads where any heavier squalls occur. This front will introduce a pure Arctic air mass which will last through Thursday, ease up slightly Friday, which may see a few more snow showers and squalls as a reinforcing arctic front arrives, keeping it quite cold through Saturday (though not as cold as Thursday). A little moderation will take place by Sunday and Monday. We may have to watch for the approach of a front and/or low pressure system by Monday, but I’m not sure how the set-up will be just yet.

SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Cloudy. Periods of light snow possible midday and afternoon with a dusting to a coating some areas. Highs in the 20s. Wind W to SW under 10 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Periods of light snow possibly early, and a slight chance of brief moderate snow parts of Cape Cod with up to 1 inch. Lows in the 10s. Wind light W.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. Scattered snow showers and a chance of heavier snow squalls midday-afternoon. Highs in the 20s. Wind W 5-15 MPH shifting to NW and increasing to 15-25 MPH with gusts 30-40 MPH.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Low 0. High 18.
FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Chance of snow showers/squalls. Low 10. High 25.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 20.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 10. High 30.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Low 20. High 35.

11:30PM

Some of the cold and dry weather predicted long ago for January will be with us this coming week as the pattern was finally able to shift and allow some Arctic air to make the journey from Siberia over the North Pole and through Canada, entering the northeastern US in a couple of shots during this week. A series of disturbances will deliver the cold air, the first being a trough Monday afternoon, then a clipper low pressure system later Tuesday, another trough on Wednesday, and a cold front on Friday. The strongest shot of cold air will be over southeastern New England on Thursday. Some moderation will arrive by later in the weekend.

Before all this gets underway we get rid of the weekend storm overnight as a cold front sweeps through southeaster New England putting an end to the rain and brief push of mild air.

OVERNIGHT: Rain showers end west to east followed by clearing and emergence of a bright full moon. Temperatures cooling through the 40s. Wind W increasing to 15-25 MPH with higher gusts.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Isolated snow showers and a possible heavier snow squall midday through mid afternoon. Temperatures falling through the 30s. Wind W 15-30 MPH gusting as high as 40 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows in the 10s. Wind W 15-25 MPH and gusty. Wind chill falling below 10.
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. Periods of light snow afternoon and evening with accumulation of a coating to 2 inches possible. Highs in the 20s. Wind light W.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. Scattered snow showers. Isolated snow squalls. Low 10. High 20.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Low 0. High 15.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Scattered snow showers. Isolated snow squalls. Low 10. High 25.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 20.
SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Low 10. High 30.

2:50AM

The weekend storm is doing generally as was expected. A minor to locally moderate snowfall from Boston north and west, some icing inland valleys, and rain overtaking most locations during Saturday night. As low pressure tracks northwest of New England Sunday it will drag mild air into the region, though some of the colder air may remain trapped in valleys of north central MA into southern NH, though even there it will be above freezing so the icing threat will end. As for precipitation, expect episodic rain showers during Sunday with a risk of a cluster or line of heavier downpours later in the day as a cold front sweeps eastward. This front will clear the region at night and set up a windy, colder, dry Monday. A clipper system from Canada will traverse the Great Lakes and pass across southern New England Tuesday night, exiting by early Wednesday, producing a light snowfall. Windy and much colder weather will follow for Wednesday and Thursday as we get a shot of pure Arctic air. A second disturbance and front is expected to pass through the region Friday with a snow shower threat, followed by a reinforcing cold shot next Saturday (a bit less cold than the midweek delivery).

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Cloudy with periodic rain showers and a few late day heavier downpours possible. Patchy fog. Highs in the 50s except 40s some interior valleys in north central MA to southern NH. Wind SW 5-15 MPH gusting 20-25 MPH, except light wind inland valleys.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with lingering rain showers early, followed by clearing west to east. Lows 30-35. Wind W 15-25 MPH and gusty.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Temperatures 30-35 early then falling into the 20s. Wind W 15-25 MPH gusting 30-35 MPH.
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. Afternoon and evening light snow. Low 15. High 25.
WEDNESDAY: Clearing. Low 15. High 25.
THURSDAY: Sunny. Low 0. High 15.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Low 10. High 25.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 20.

7:02PM

There is not a whole lot of change between the last blog and this one. So revisiting what was talked about in the previous blog, with a little fine-tuning.

Low pressure will track through the Great Lakes this weekend. Its warm front will provide overrunning for increasing clouds during the day Saturday and then mix/snow breaking out during late afternoon and evening from south to north across the area. Enough cold air will be in place for some accumulating snow to start out, with the least chance over Cape Cod. Warm air will be coming in aloft rather quickly, so expect a change to sleet, rain, and freezing rain fairly quickly. Temperatures should warm enough for sleet going to rain in the coastal plain and across southeastern MA into southern RI, but enough cold air may allow sleet and especially freezing rain to occur for much of the night from northern RI through interior eastern MA into southern NH with the exception of the Seacoast area which will also likely change to plain rain. There is a good chance of some icy conditions impacting travel where temperatures remain cold enough to support freezing rain. By later Saturday night to the early hours of Sunday, enough warm air should be in place in all areas so that the precipitation winds up as plain rain, with pockets of freezing rain holding on longest in north central MA into interior southern NH. The warm front may waver around the region allowing southeastern MA and RI to warm significantly for a period of time. Toward the end of Sunday, the cold front from the low pressure area will sweep eastward into the region with rain showers to start, some possible snow showers at night, and a colder/drier trend getting underway. A stronger northwesterly flow on Monday will transport cold air into southeastern New England along with dry weather. At this time it still appears that a clipper low pressure system will come from south central Canada across the Great Lakes and then across the Northeast later Tuesday through early Wednesday with some risk of snow. It should be fast-moving system and not have time to produce too much snow. This will be monitored. Expect a shot of wind and very cold air, the coldest for the season so far, by the middle of next week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 15-20 inland, 20-25 coast. Wind W 5-15 MPH, diminishing late.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Light snow or mix possible by late day southern MA and RI. Highs around 30 interior MA and southern NH, 30s elsewhere. Wind light variable.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Overcast. Mix to rain Cape Cod and Islands, snow to sleet then rain southern RI and east coastal MA, snow to sleet and freezing rain interior MA, northern RI, and southern NH except sleet to rain Seacoast region. Snow accumulation less than 1 inch immediate coastal areas, 1-2 inches from central and northern RI through most of eastern MA, 2-4 inches Merrimack Valley through north central MA into most of southern NH. Temperatures 25-30 interior valleys, 30s elsewhere, rising to around 40 coastal areas at night. Wind NE to N under 10 MPH interior MA and southern NH, NE to E 5-15 MPH increasing to 10-20 MPH elsewhere.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Rain tapering off early from west to east but occasional rain showers possible during the day. Highs in the 40s northwest of Boston, 50s Boston area southeastward. Wind E to SE 10-20 MPH briefly shifting to S over southeastern MA, then shifting to SW all areas 15-25 MPH with higher gusts during the afternoon.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny and windy. Low 20. High 35.
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. PM snow. Low 15. High 30.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with snow showers AM. Sun and clouds PM. Low 20. High 30.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 15.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 5. High 25.

5:39PM

A new year is here, and it is now January. The weather will be behaving in an expected way for the month we have entered, with some cold air and a couple of storms passing through.

First, some cloudiness tonight caused by warming air aloft will keep temperatures from dropping too low, and a little less cold is expected on Friday compared to the last 2 days. It will be a bright day as high pressure continues to have influence on the weather here in southeastern New England. Low pressure moving across the southern US will turn northeastward through the Midwest and head into the Great Lakes by Saturday and Saturday night. Its warm front will provide overrunning for increasing clouds and then mix/snow breaking out during Saturday evening from south to north across the area. Enough cold air will be in place for some accumulating snow to start out, with the least chance over Cape Cod. Warm air will be coming in aloft rather quickly, so expect a change to sleet, rain, and freezing rain fairly quickly. At this time the expectation is that areas from the Boston area northwestward will accumulate 1 to 4 inches of snow, least southeast and most to the northwest, before the changeover. Temperatures should warm enough for sleet going to rain in the coastal plain and across southeastern MA into southern RI, but enough cold air may allow sleet and especially freezing rain to occur for much of the night from northern RI through interior eastern MA into southern NH with the exception of the Seacoast area which will also likely change to plain rain. There is a good chance of some icy conditions impacting travel where temperatures remain cold enough to support freezing rain. By later Sunday morning to midday Sunday, enough warm air should be in place in all areas so that the precipitation winds up as plain rain. Toward the end of Sunday, the cold front from the low pressure area will sweep eastward into the region with rain showers to start, some possible snow showers at night, and a colder/drier trend getting underway. A stronger northwesterly flow on Monday will transport cold air into southeastern New England along with dry weather. At this time it still appears that a clipper low pressure system will come from south central Canada across the Great Lakes and then across the Northeast later Tuesday through early Wednesday with some risk of snow/mix. Though at this stage it does not look like a big storm, we should monitor it as there will be some potential travel impacts. Expect a shot of wind and very cold air, the coldest for the season so far, by the middle of next week.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows in the 20s. Wind SW 5-15 MPH, gusting around 20 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 35-40. Wind W 10-20 MPH, gusting around 25 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 15-20 inland, 20-25 coast. Wind W 5-15 MPH, diminishing late.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Light snow or mix possible by late day southern MA and RI. Highs around 30 interior MA and southern NH, 30s elsewhere. Wind light variable.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Overcast. Mix to rain Cape Cod and Islands, snow to sleet then rain southern RI and east coastal MA, snow to sleet and freezing rain interior MA, northern RI, and southern NH except sleet to rain Seacoast region. Snow accumulation less than 1 inch immediate coastal areas, 1-2 inches from central and northern RI through most of eastern MA, 2-4 inches Merrimack Valley through north central MA into most of southern NH. Temperatures 25-30 interior valleys, 30s elsewhere, rising to around 40 coastal areas at night. Wind NE to N under 10 MPH interior MA and southern NH, NE to E 5-15 MPH increasing to 10-20 MPH elsewhere.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Ice to rain north central MA and southern NH, rain elsewhere, all tapering off midday from southwest to northeast. An additional passing rain shower possible west to east afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Wind E to SE 10-20 MPH briefly shifting to S over southeastern MA, then shifting to SW all areas 15-25 MPH with higher gusts during the afternoon.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny and windy. Low 20. High 35.
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. PM snow. Low 15. High 30.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with snow showers AM. Sun and clouds PM. Low 20. High 30.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 10. High 20.

3:51PM

2014 ends tonight. As 2015 gets underway and people ring in the New Year hopefully in their preferred way, inside or outside, one thing is for sure, it will be chilly outside around southeastern New England. Certainly far from the coldest New Year’s Eve we’ve had around these parts, but given the recent mild pattern, it will feel quite cold for anybody out there, so if you are going to be one of them, bundle up!

As expected, high pressure took control on Monday and continues to dominate the weather making it dry and somewhat colder than we have seen recently. This will continue through early Saturday but will then give way to a rapidly-approaching low pressure area from the southwest late Saturday. The timing of this system appears as if it will be similar to the thinking on the previous blog update, late Saturday through early or the mid part of Sunday, and the track is still expected to be one that takes a primary low pressure area into the Great Lakes but develops a secondary near southeastern New England. Though it will be cold enough for snow in many areas at the outset of this system, warmer air coming in both at the surface and aloft will change it to rain. We will have to watch for a brief period of icing especially inland as some cold air may be trapped at the surface there Saturday night and Sunday morning. At this time, we are still too far away from the event to have any real confidence on details of this, so this possibility will be revisited and fine-tuned. Once we get to late Sunday, low pressure will be heading away and being replaced by windy and colder conditions which will last through Monday. By Tuesday, a small but possibly vigorous low pressure area may sweep through the region from the Great Lakes, bringing the chance of snow or mixed precipitation, however this fast-moving system would not have enough time to produce any large snow amounts. Look for more cold and windy weather behind that system as we’re finally able to tap some of the cold air in Canada and drag it down here. This does not look like the start of a long-lasting cold snap, however.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT – NEW YEAR’S EVE: Partly cloudy with temperatures falling slowly through the 20s during the evening to near 20 many areas and upper 10s inland valleys by midnight. Overnight lows 15-20. Wind light SW.
THURSDAY – NEW YEAR’S DAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 30-35. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 15-20. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 30-35. Wind W 5-15 MPH
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Snow/mix arriving late day or night, changing to mix/rain overnight. Low 20. High 35.
SUNDAY: Cloudy with mix/rain morning. Mostly cloudy to partly sunny with rain to snow showers afternoon. Low 30. High 45.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 25. High 35.
TUESDAY: Clouding up. PM snow or snow showers. Low 20. High 30.

Thank you all for reading and contributing during 2014 and previously as well! Looking forward to 2015! Have a safe and happy New Year!

From the WHW Crew (TK and a small supporting cast who prefer to remain nameless). 🙂

7:27AM

This update only slows the timing of the unsettled weather system expected on the weekend, behind which a shot of windy and very cold air is expected. Up until the weekend, high pressure and chilly/dry weather will continue to dominate, including for First Night & New Year’s Day.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 30. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows middle 10s to around 20s. Wind light NW to W.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 30. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT – NEW YEAR’S EVE: Mostly clear. Evening temps 20s. Overnight lows 15-20. Wind light W.
THURSDAY – NEW YEAR’S DAY: Partly cloudy. Highs in the 30s. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 35.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds. Night snow to rain. Low 20. High 40.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy. Rain ending as mix/snow showers. Low 35. High 45.
MONDAY: Sun & clouds, windy. Low 15. High 30.

11:06PM

This look at the coming week is not really any different than the blog posted earlier on Sunday, other than dropping this Sunday’s forecast and adding next Sunday’s forecast. High pressure and a chill will be the rule during the next 5 days as 2014 winds up and 2015 gets underway. By the first weekend of the New Year, expect a storm to pass north of the region with a milder rain event arriving on Saturday and departing by early Sunday.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows around 30. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 40. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows around 15. Wind light NW.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 35. Wind light NW.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 30.
THURSDAY – NEW YEAR’S DAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 35.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 25. High 40.
SATURDAY: Cloudy. Mix to rain. Low 30. High 50.
SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Early rain showers. Low 40. High 45.

8:18AM

The 2 weekend days in this forecast (today and next Saturday) will be the mild and unsettled ones as a cold front slides through southern New England today and low pressure arrives from the southwest next Saturday, and the 5 days between (which include New Year’s Day) will be dry and colder as high pressure dominates and storminess stays to the south.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers this morning, ending west to east by midday. Highs around 50. Wind W 5-15 MPH, gusting 20-25 MPH.
TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows around 30. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs around 40. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 35.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 30.
THURSDAY – NEW YEAR’S DAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 35.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 25. High 40.
SATURDAY: Cloudy. Mix to rain. Low 30. High 50.

5:18PM

We’re in the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s now, and the originally advertised pattern change to cold never quite took place, for reasons talked about previously. But what is really coming up? Quiet weather for now as we head down the home stretch of 2014 and into the opening 2 days of 2015.

First, high pressure to the south of the region will provide a dry and mild Saturday, then a cold front will pass through southeastern New England on Sunday accompanied by cloudiness and a few rain showers as the air will still be mild. A wave forming on the front as it settles to the south will stay south of the region Monday but may throw some additional cloudiness across the sky especially in southern locations. Otherwise, the trend for the exit of 2014 and arrival of 2015 will be to colder and dry weather as a sprawling high pressure area dominates, originating in Canada which has gradually turned colder in the last week or so. The upper pattern will still not support a genuine plunge into Arctic cold, nor will it support any storminess reaching this area.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TONIGHT: Clear. Lows 25-30 inland valleys, 30-35 elsewhere. Wind light W to SW.
SATURDAY: Sunny. Highs around 50. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows in the 30s. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.
SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Highs in the 40s. Wind SW 10-20 MPH and gusty.
MONDAY: Partly sunny. Low 25. High 40.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 35.
WEDNESDAY – NEW YEAR’S EVE: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 35.
THURSDAY – NEW YEAR’S DAY: Mostly sunny. Low 15. High 30.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 20. High 35.

10:18AM

After a cold front sweeps offshore this Christmas morning putting an end to the wet weather and introducing a drier, gusty westerly wind and some sunshine for Christmas Day, the only other system likely to pass through here during the next several days is a cold front sometime on Sunday. By early next week as the final days of 2014 are here, a string of weak storms will likely be kept well to the south by a sprawling high pressure area. Though it will turn colder for early next week, there is no major cold air in sight as the current weather pattern does not allow a major push of it to advance this way from northern and central Canada.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND FORECAST…
TODAY – CHRISTMAS: Rain ends Cape Cod by noon. Clouds give way to clearing west to east midday. Sunshine and passing clouds afternoon. Temperatures cooling through the 50s. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting to 30 MPH, higher in some locations.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 30-35. Wind W 10-20 MPH gusting around 30 MPH, diminishing slowly.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 45-50. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Low 35. High 55.
SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Low 40. High 45.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: Variably cloudy. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the 30s.