Tuesday March 31 2026 Forecast (7:03AM)

114 Comments

DAYS 1-5 (MARCH 31 – APRIL 4)

It seems as if we’ve been talking about the battle zone pattern or the frontal boundary making our weather a bit of a roller-coaster, and this will be going on as we finish up the month of March today and move through the first several days of April, right on into the first weekend of the new month as well. Disturbances / low pressure areas moving along the boundary, high pressure to the south, and another high pressure area to the north in eastern Canada will all play roles in the position of this boundary and the resultant weather here, and there will be quite a few changes to keep track of. Wettest weather should take place this morning and midday with one disturbance, overnight tonight / early Wednesday with another, later tomorrow afternoon, early Thursday, and then with less confidence it looks like sometime Saturday we get wet again. Friday may be a “break” day in which we get the boundary far enough north to break out into some partial sun and springtime warmth, but just a couple days ago the indications were for it to be quite a bit colder with a solid overcast and some wet weather, so don’t place your bets just yet – mother nature is in the mood for tricks. Keep track of updates! If Friday does turn out nicer, this would be great news for the Red Sox home opener that afternoon.

TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Periodic rain showers, particularly morning and midday. Slight chance of thunder. Highs 51-58 South Coast, 58-65 elsewhere, but may drop through the 50s to the 40s southeastern NH and northeastern to east central MA by late-day. Wind SW to W 5-15 MPH, possibly shifting to N and NE from southeastern NH to east central MA during the afternoon.

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers overnight with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Patchy fog in southeastern NH and eastern MA during the evening. Lows 42-49 southern NH and northeastern MA but may rise slightly overnight, 50-57 elsewhere. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, mostly SW except NE to E in southeastern NH and eastern MA during the evening.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Midday and afternoon rain showers possible, favoring areas south of Route 2. Highs 51-58 South Coast and southeastern NH to northeastern MA, 58-65 in between those areas. Wind variable 5-15 MPH, turning SW for a while with higher gusts all except southeastern NH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers evening, ending overnight. Lows 35-42. Wind shifting to N 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of drizzle. Highs 42-49. Wind NE 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Temperatures steady 42-49. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Highs 50-57 (may stay cooler eastern coastal areas / may end up warmer over interior locations). Wind E to SE up to 10 MPH shifting to S or SW 5-15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of a rain shower. Lows 43-50. Wind SW to variable 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY: Variably cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Highs 52-59, may be cooler in some coastal areas. Wind variable 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 5-9)

Eyeing a potential warm surge after a cool and damp start on April 5 (Easter for those celebrating) – depending on timing and movement of warm front, then late-day or nighttime showers and possible t-storms with a cold front. After this, high pressure builds in with more tranquil weather that starts cool then turns milder early through middle of next week.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 10-14)

Indications are for some more up-and-down temps and changeable weather heading into mid April, typical of a New England springtime.

114 thoughts on “Tuesday March 31 2026 Forecast (7:03AM)”

  1. Reminder: In a volatile pattern where changes can be drastic if a frontal boundary is literally just a handful of miles different from expected, temperature forecasts can be quite a bit off. What’s written above is my best estimate based on the best info I have (and this will be true for any met you listen to), so keep this in mind and frequently get updates if specifics matter. 🙂

  2. Good morning and thank you TK

    51 here and that was the low.

    Ocean: 40

    Wordle: 5

    Looks like we may get back doomed today. Front awfully close.

        1. he he he

          Welcome to the 5 car where misery likes company.
          What shall we drink today? Whiskey, rum, vodka, gin?
          I think I need Whiskey. 🙂 🙂 🙂

          1. Perhaps some Scotch Whiskey. I’ll break out the good stuff, Johnnie Walker Blue Label!!!

  6. Thanks TK! Impressive lighting and thunder in Dartmouth to start the morning. Good to experience that. Gives me hope that warmer days are coming soon

  7. Thank you TK!

    So glad I love rum and will be joining the 5 car today. Nice job on the 4 Vicki but please feel free to join us.

  10. Burst of rain here. Just after UPS driver tossed (loudly) a box from target on the steps. No plastic.

  11. Nice 4’s on Wordle !

    Quick (30 sec – 1 min), very heavy, passing shower.

    First of many, I suspect, based on the current radar.

    1. Now, what sounded like a distant rumble of thunder.

      The building is very quiet as session 1 of ELA MCAS is ongoing.

      Some of the students heard it, as they looked up from their chromebooks.

    1. Wow. I was thinking you are in the hot spot till I looked and saw we are also 72. Smells a bit like a muggy early summer day

  20. DOWN to 54 here. Did anyone say BACK DOOR??????

    Funny how that happens in the Spring.

  22. I remember Barry Burbank frequently using “FROPA” on his maps to describe frontal passages. 🙂

    1. I like that term! It has a nice ring to it.
      Almost sounds like a great Ice cream treat. I’d like a vanilla FROPA please.

  23. Back on this day in 1997 it was the beginning of what became known as the April Fools Blizzard. This was my one and only April snow day.

    1. Thanks for the reminder Jimmy! I usually have no memory but I sure remember THAT one. ❄️

      On the 31st I had plans for dinner and movie with a colleague from work but we cancelled by noon once the snow started coming down. According to Barry, the rain changed to snow about 5 hours early! 🙂

      Didn’t it thundersnow later that evening?

      1. Also, iirc Boston Public Schools had the rest of the week off as many side streets were not plowed. All I got was April Fool’s Day as a snow day.

        1. The previous Sunday (Palm Sunday) was in the lower 60s. “Snow” was the last thing on my mind until the next Monday morning and even then, I had no idea of what was to come (25.4”). ❄️

          1. I KNEW on Sunday and on Monday I certainly KNEW it was going to be a BIGGIE before it even started.

        2. That was a WHOPPER for sure!!!! LOVED it!!!!
          It was like I died and went to heaven!!! Don’t see too many storms like that one!!!

          Still, it didn’t top the BLIZZARD OF 78.

            2. Of course and in a 4 storm stretch, here we had storms of 24,16,24 and 16 inches!!!!

  24. Down to 52 here, 46 At the Airport and 41 at Beverly!!!!

    This has some BITE to it! Well, it does BITE for sure!!!!!

    This is so pathetic, it is LAUGHABLE!!!!!!!!

  25. Those spring snow events of the past were very sneaky and meteorologists were lucky to get a day or two warning. With today’s models this blog would light up like a Christmas tree by now if Easter was in jeopardy for example.

    2. In 1997, Easter was actually the day before the storm started (March 30). It was in the lower 60s and quite windy.

      Palm Sunday was on March 23.

      And in case anyone is wondering, Orthodox Easter was April 27 1997.

      1. Thanks TK! All I remember was going to church that Sunday in my best suit without an overcoat. 🙂

  29. At 42 F, down 10 degrees since I looked at it this morning.

    Meanwhile:

    Celtics guaranteed a top 4 seed.
    Bruins hold # 1 wild card spot as of now.

    1. Some forecasters are just more aggressive than others. He tends to lean that way. Just his style.

      The global guidance temp forecasts are lower…

      ECMWF is 68.
      GFS is lower 60s.

      The AI versions of both those models are in the 50s.

  34. Tomorrow’s marine cold air push is probably going to be stronger than today’s (late day and evening).

  35. Lots of chatter about March 31 & April 1 1997, but how about exactly one year later on March 31 1998?

    Without looking it up, does anyone remember what was going on that day?

    1. I believe Logan made 89 degrees as it was HOT for March. 🙂
      IF My mind serves me correctly. Else I am losing it big time!!!

    2. It was our negative one year wedding anniversary. I wonder what the traditional -1 gift is.
      🙂

  38. I recall a small snowstorm in late March 1998 followed by an incredible warm-up. I believe it hit 90F close to Boston. I remember watching Tim Kelley’s forecast. He showed a map in which it was snowing and low 30s in Van Buren, Maine, 90F in parts of Southern NE.

    1. High temps for the region for March 31 1998 (courtesy SAK who sent me this list)…

      Reading 92
      Marblehead 91
      Walpole 90
      Lowell 90
      Bedford 90
      Haverhill 90
      Lawrence 89
      Fitchburgh 89
      Hartford (Bradley) 89
      Blue Hill 89
      Boston 89
      Beverly 89
      Manchester NH 89
      Concord NH 89
      Brockton 87
      Providence RI 85

  40. Thanks, TK. And thanks, SAK.

    My long-term memory is still sharp.

    There was some snow just before the warm-up, correct?

    My daughter was 4 and I remember sledding with her. Then a few days later, grabbing popsicles at Walden Pond from an ice cream truck.

    1. Cool & very wet June.
      July & August were seasonable temps both months, slightly drier than average July and slightly wetter than average August.

  43. In the early summer of 1998 I was working in Philly on a project and taking the train down to DC for conferences. I recall some hot days. I was also sleeping in my sister’s unairconditioned attic. But I also remember rains that cooled things off, even in DC. Not autumn cool, but 80s instead of 90s.

  45. Worcester County

    Issued by National Weather Service
    Boston, MA
    8:40 PM EDT Tue, Mar 31, 2026

    The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for… Northwestern Worcester County in central Massachusetts… Northern Hampshire County in western Massachusetts… Franklin County in western Massachusetts… Northwestern Hampden County in western Massachusetts…

    * Until 945 PM EDT.

    * At 839 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Stamford to near Cheshire to near Becket, moving east at 40 mph.

    HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. A wind gust to 51 mph was reported in Pittsfield from these thunderstorms.

    SOURCE…Radar indicated.

    IMPACT…Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines.

    * Locations impacted include… Amherst, Northampton, Greenfield, Orange, Deerfield, Monroe, Montague, Hadley, Sunderland, Hatfield, Northfield, Williamsburg, Huntington, Bernardston, Buckland, Conway, Shelburne, Leverett, Erving, and Shutesbury.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

    &&

    HAIL THREAT…RADAR INDICATED; MAX HAIL SIZE…1.00 IN; WIND THREAT…RADAR INDICATED; MAX WIND GUST…60 MPH

  47. While we wait to see what becomes of the storms to the west, here’s a little weather news from Alaska (NWS Fairbanks)…

    “Fairbanks, we just lived through the history books. The numbers are in, and the December to March 2025-26 season will go down as the all-time record coldest for Fairbanks since records began in 1904. With an average temperature of -13.6°F, we’ve edged out the legendary winter of 1965-66 to take the #1 spot.
    This season marks a dramatic reversal from a year ago. After experiencing the second warmest December to March stretch on record last year, we saw a significant drop in temperatures this year, down to the coldest ever in Fairbanks history. It’s a powerful reminder of how variable Northern Alaska’s weather can be.
    This season wasn’t just about one cold snap; it was a marathon of sub-zero endurance. Here’s a look at how this winter stacked up:
    The Deep Freeze by the Numbers:
    Persistence: 150 consecutive days and counting at or below freezing, marking the longest stretch the Interior has seen since the early 1970s.
    Extreme Cold: We saw 31 days at or below -40°F, the fourth-highest count on record and the most since 1965. Additionally, 72 days reached at or below -20°F, and 52 days fell to at or below -30°F, with 66 days not even getting above 0°F.
    Deep Snow: On top of the cold, we tallied 92.6″ of snow, making this the 12th snowiest season on record.”

      1. One can argue that the fact the winter before (being the 2nd warmest on record) and this winter are a measure of the extremes that are more likely to occur in an overall warmer climate. Whether there’s a direct correlation or not, one must not use a small sample of occurrences (on EITHER side of the coin) as a basis for a statement about climate. It’s more complex than that. 🙂

    1. A watch is issued for a large area in advance. Warnings are issued for ongoing activity, but that is well west of your area. They are issued for shorter time frames and updated if necessary.

      1. I absolutely understand. But The warning popped up for here. And the expiration did too

        1. I’ve even had that issue myself since these things started showing up on phones. It’s likely an issue with distribution to carriers and their re-transmission of such info to their users.

  49. None of this makes sense to me. I was Just notified that the severe t storm warning expires in 15 min????????

  51. Really neat with this front going back and forth.

    Very mild yesterday the early afternoon, very chilly and raw with fog last night and waking back up in the warm sector again, mild and humid.

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