6:30PM
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First, I’m going to address the storm threat that continues through the evening hours, then we’ll look ahead to the rest of the week to see how hot it may get and if there will be any other storms, and of course a peek at the weekend (it’s never too early to think about the weekend, is it?).
We have seen several bands of showers and a few thunderstorms roll through southern New England from NW to SE today. Strong to severe storms have been very limited, however, up to this point. Extensive cloud cover and rain-cooled air has prevented the atmosphere from becoming very unstable. However, with a frontal system still to our north, and having to move through the muggy and somewhat unstable air mass in place, I cannot rule out thunderstorms until sometime between 8PM and 11PM from north to south across southern NH and eastern MA. There are storms in upstate NY and northern New England sinking to the S & SE. Some of these, or other storms that form, may make it down into southern New England during the next few hours. At this point I do not see a widespread outbreak of storms, but any storms that do make it down here will have the potential to produce heavy downpours, hail, strong and gusty winds, and frequent lightning. So be on the look-out for threatening weather approaching from the northwest or north. Once these storms push south or dissipate later tonight, we should be quiet in terms of storms during the overnight hours.
With the boundary hanging around over far southern New England Tuesday and a little moisture in the air, I can’t rule out a few pop up showers and storms on Tuesday. Most areas will see nothing, with just a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, very warm, and moderately humid day. High pressure will build over the area at all levels of the atmosphere Wednesday with a sunny, warm to hot day, but not too humid. By Thursday and Friday, surface high pressure will build just off the East Coast and upper level high pressure remaining over New England will produce hazy, hot, and humid weather. Thunderstorms should be limited or not occur at all, despite the surface heat, because of very warm air aloft, which limits storms. There is always a slight risk of a pop up air mass thunderstorm in that kind of heat, though, but I will leave them out of the forecast for now.
By the time we get to Friday night or Saturday, a cold front should move through the region, taking the edge of the heat. The timing of this front will determine how hot Saturday is. This front may also produce some thunderstorms Friday night or Saturday. By Sunday, heat and humidity will be noticeably lower.
Detailed Boston Area Forecast…
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Isolated to scattered shower and thunderstorms mainly between 8PM & 11PM from north to south. Not all areas will see them. Areas that do may experience downpours, small hail, strong & gusty winds, and frequent lightning. Areas of ground fog after 11PM dissipating about dawn. Mild and muggy. Low 65 to 70. Wind NW 5 to 15 mph, except variable and possibly strong and gusty around any storms.
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Slight risk of isolated showers or thunderstorms, especially along and south of the Mass Pike. Very warm and moderately humid. High 84 to 89. Wind N 5 to 15 mph.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Mild but drier. Low 61 to 66. Wind NW up to 10 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. Hot and dry. High 86 to 91. Wind NW 5 to 15 mph shifting to SW.
THURSDAY: Hazy sunshine. Low 71. High 94.
FRIDAY: Hazy sunshine. Low 77. High 99.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy. Isolated thunderstorms. Low 74. High 90.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Low 63. High 82.
** NOTE: This blog will be updated with the same discussion and forecast, excluding the information about tonight’s storms, once the threat of storms is over later tonight.