DAYS 1-5 (AUGUST 20-24)
Today’s weather will be cool and mainly cloudy as a disturbance from the northwest moves through the region and undergoes a minor interaction with Hurricane Erin, which is still quite far to our south southeast today. The initial batch of rain aims more north of I-90 this morning to early afternoon, with the focus then shifting more to the south from midday onward. Any rainfall we get right now is beneficial as the region has had quite a dry summer. Temperatures today will run considerably below average – many double-digit departures, so keep that in mind as well if you have outdoor plans. A summary of Hurricane Erin’s main impact on our region… Large long-period ocean swells and rough surf, increasing today, peaking Thursday through early Friday, diminishing later Friday into the weekend. The other will be some gusty wind, especially across southeastern MA, later Thursday into Friday as the storm makes its closest pass during a time its wind field expands significantly (normal for a tropical cyclone in the process of transitioning to post-tropical). There will be no impact from rainfall. We’ll see the high cloud shield from the storm spread over at least a portion of the sky during Thursday before departing during Friday, which will filter / dim the sun Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. This set-up does leave the potential for a spectacular sunset, however, on Thursday evening – something to watch for if you’re a photographer or just like to observe. During all of this Thursday and Friday we’ll have dry weather, and while it won’t be as chilly as today, temperatures will still run significantly below normal on Thursday and slightly below normal on Friday. Our weekend will feature mainly dry weather and a warm-up but with tolerable humidity, only a little more humid Sunday, felt by the most sensitive people. An approaching cold front looks a little slower based on recent guidance trends, so I’ll hold off the previously-forecast shower and thunderstorm threat during Sunday to the evening and nighttime hours on this update, but keep an eye on that for any other trend changes.
TODAY: Mainly cloudy. Periods of rain. Highs 61-68. Wind E 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mainly cloudy. Some rain lingers especially south evening. Chance of some drizzle and fog eastern coastal areas during the evening. Lows 54-61. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.
THURSDAY: Patchy low and middle clouds mixed with sun in the morning. Sunshine dimmed at times, especially southeast, by increasing high clouds during the afternoon. Highs 68-75, coolest coast. Wind NE 5-15 MPH inland, 10-20 MPH coast except 20-30 MPH Cape Cod with higher gusts likely.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Considerable high cloudiness. Lows 58-65. Wind NE 10-20 MPH except 20-30 MPH coastal areas especially south of Boston including higher gusts.
FRIDAY: Limited sun early with lots of high clouds, then increasing sun. Highs 75-82, coolest coast. Wind NE 15-25 MPH, strongest coastal areas, except 25-35 MPH Cape Cod, including higher gusts during the morning, shifting to N and gradually diminishing during the afternoon.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 56-63. Wind N to NW 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 78-85, a bit cooler at the coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with light coastal sea breezes.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 60-67. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms possible evening or nighttime. Highs 81-88 except cooler South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
DAYS 6-10 (AUGUST 25-29)
A slower-moving frontal boundary and some potential additional moisture from the south brings a better chance of showery weather for August 25. Turning dry and cooler August 26-27. Next disturbance / front may bring a shower or t-storm August 28 before fair weather returns later next week.
DAYS 11-15 (AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 3)
Indications for the August 30-31 weekend are for fair, dry, cool to mild weather, with continued fair weather for Labor Day (September 1) and a warm-up heading toward the middle of the first week of September. While a dry pattern is good news for outdoor plans, it’s not good news for building drought in the region.