DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 17-21)

High pressure has enough influence today to give us another fairly nice day. It’ll stay dry though we will see an increase in high cloudiness with time, so that by sunset the western sky should be rather grey with the sun blotted out. We’ll be a touch cooler than yesterday with a wind flow becoming more easterly with time, but not strong. Still, this means the most noticeable chill in the air will occur along the coast, especially east-facing shorelines. Spring in New England! Low pressure moving our way is going to be thwarted by a block in the atmosphere, which in our region is a stubborn ridge of high pressure and drier air. Low pressure tracks into the Great Lakes on Thursday and its warm front to our south will see a new low form on it, but with the dry air in place, the moisture from these lows and frontal system will struggle to move in, with just some possible light rain at times during Thursday, especially west and south of Boston, before the system loses the battle and gets pushed off to the south. I’m still liking the idea of a stronger high pressure bubble giving us a nicer day Friday, but whether we see real clearing or keep lots of clouds is going to depend on its position and resultant air flow over our region. Either way, a cold front will finally swing eastward and through the region as the block weakens by early Saturday. Most of the rain showers with this system will occur before dawn Saturday, and during the day we will see some additional clouds and possibly a passing shower with a secondary trough, leading to dry weather on Sunday.

TODAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Lows 47-54. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain favoring Boston area west and south. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clouds thin out. Lows 41-48. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 54-61 coast, 61-68 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S-SW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sun/cloud mix. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 58-65. Wind W-NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 42-49. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 22-26)

April 22-24 is a period of time vulnerable to low pressure from the south while cool high pressure sits to our north. Leaning toward the middle of next week (April 24) for greatest wet weather threat. Fair, cool weather to follow this, which may include quite a bit of wind for a while.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 27 – MAY 1)

Overall pattern looks fairly dry but may have upper low pressure around with rain and even mix/snow showers in higher elevations to start the period. A moderating trend should follow this.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 16-20)

We’ve passed the mid-point of April and as we head through the second half of the month, the story of the weather pattern is about to be examined in three parts. This section of the blog looks at the first 5 days of it. The story upcoming is going to be typical of spring, with changeable temperatures, but a less typical precipitation regime compared to what we’ve been seeing, and that is a pattern that produces less, not more. High pressure over eastern Canada extends southward into the Northeast into midweek. Today, we’ll be on the eastern side of its axis, with a continued northwesterly air flow of dry but fairly mild weather, as the air mass in place is not that chilly. However as the axis shifts eastward, the general air flow, while weaker, will be able to turn more northeast to east Wednesday and Thursday, while at the same time we’ll see an increase in cloud cover from approaching low pressure. This will turn our region a little cooler. The aforementioned low is going to be one that struggles to “move in” with the current set-up, with a primary low curling back through the Great Lakes. Much like the last system, a frontal boundary to our south would move up this way if we had less blocking in place, but the low pressure area that forms on it is going to be shunted further south and away from our region as we head from mid to late week. How it plays out here is that our cloud cover will likely be thickest on Wednesday night and Thursday when we also have our greatest chance of wet weather – basically a limited and dissipating rain shield that favors bringing some light rainfall to areas mostly Boston west and south. By Friday this is pushed far enough south and a little break-off area of high pressure can get far enough south, axis to our east, that we have a fair, milder day, assuming this evolves quickly enough. After that, things start moving more west to east again and a low pressure area passing north of our region in eastern Canada will drag a cold front through here on Friday night or early Saturday, with a round of rain showers, then fair but cooler weather arriving early in the weekend.

TODAY: Clouds over Nantucket early morning otherwise plenty of sunshine. Highs 63-70. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, gusts 20-25 MPH possible.

TONIGHT: Clear except some fog patches possible interior lower elevations. Lows 42-49. Wind N diminishing to under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Lows 47-54. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain favoring Boston area west and south. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clouds thin out. Lows 41-48. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 54-61 coast, 61-68 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S-SW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 55-62. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 21-25)

On to the middle third of the last half of April 2024. While we start and end the period with fair weather, the April 22-24 time window can be vulnerable to unsettled weather from a couple low pressure areas passing by to our south, if they come far enough to the north. Keeping an eye on that potential.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 26-30)

The last several days of April 2024 present what looks like a generally dry pattern, northwesterly air flow with a cool start and a milder finish.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 15-19)

Three nice days together? Yes. This is going to be true. Today finishes up a holiday weekend for many people, and it’s a traditionally big spring day for our area with Patriots Day activities, the Boston Marathon, and the Red Sox hosting a late morning first pitch. And unless you are a marathon runner who likes it cooler than the 60s, it’s going to be a pretty perfect April day as high pressure builds in with fair, milder weather. Just watch for muddy pathways on unpaved surfaces if you’re trekking about outside, due to abundant rainfall in recent weeks. High pressure holds control through Tuesday, except a cooler center in eastern Canada will start to take over, and this will keep the next round of unsettled weather at bay through most of Wednesday, when we’ll just see an increase in cloudiness ahead of the next system. The wet weather threat from that holds off until Wednesday night or Thursday as a warm front approaches and a wave of low pressure forms on it, but the large scale pattern may hold this system far enough south that we never really even get into any appreciable rainfall from it. And this leads to a Friday forecast uncertainty – does the low, or its remains, drift back to the north as the pattern shifts a bit, or does it just keep on getting pushed away. As of today I’m opting for the former scenario, but this is far from certain, so check future updates.

TODAY: Clouds exit RI & southeastern MA early. Patchy clouds with plenty of sun otherwise. Highs 63-70, warmest interior valleys, and cooler Cape Cod. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts this afternoon.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 45-52. Wind W up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Sunny. Highs 58-65, coolest coast. Wind shifting to N then NE 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 43-50. Wind NE under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of drizzle favoring eastern coastal areas. Chance of rain favoring southern coastal areas. Temperatures fall to 48-55 then hold nearly steady. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY: Cloudy. Chance of rain showers and drizzle. Lows 48-55. Highs 55-62. Wind E becoming variable 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 20-24)

Cold front swings through April 20 with rain showers at some point that day. Fair, cool, breezy weather expected as Canadian high pressure slides through the Great Lakes April 21. The April 22-24 period leaves us cool but also vulnerable to low pressure to our south that we’ll have to keep an eye on for potential impact.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 25-29)

The pattern heading down April’s home stretch looks cool to start, milder to finish, and trends drier.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 14-18)

Your mid weekend blog update is going to tell you that everything in the forecast you read yesterday is pretty much on track in the short term as we move through this holiday weekend and into the middle of the coming week. A small, fast-moving low pressure area tracks east southeastward from the Great Lakes / adjacent Canada across the Northeast today and tonight. Our sunny start to the day will transition to a mainly cloudy one with time. An initial batch of fairly light rain may accompany a warm front that pushes through the region, followed quickly by a cold front that brings rain showers and maybe even isolated thunderstorms during this evening. This system exits overnight and sets us up with a nice Patriots Day Monday. This will be favorable for early-morning battle reenactment at Lexington Green and other activities during the day, as well as the midday Red Sox game and the Boston Marathon, though it may be a bit warm for the liking of some runners. High pressure sits southwest of our region Tuesday with a fair, milder day for most areas, but another bubble of high pressure in eastern Canada will be strong enough to send a cold front down through the region during the day, which will turn the wind north and northeast by day’s end, bringing cooler air. This front will sit to our south Wednesday as low pressure heads for the Great Lakes, bringing clouds back into the region, and a wet weather threat possibly by Wednesday evening / night, and certainly during Thursday as a new wave of low pressure forms on the frontal boundary in the region.

TODAY: Mostly sunny morning. Clouds rapidly move in midday on. A brief passing period of very light to light rain possible mainly north of I-90 during the first half of the afternoon, and a better chance of rain showers west and southwest of Boston toward the end of the afternoon. Highs 57-64. Wind W to SW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely during the evening including the slight chance of a thunderstorm. Partly cloudy overnight. Lows 48-55. Wind W to NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 61-68 except cooler Cape Cod. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 45-52. Wind W up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Sunny. Highs 65-72 inland, 57-64 coast but turning cooler from north to south, especially along the coast, mid afternoon on. Wind NW 5-15 MPH shifting to N and NE.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 43-50. Wind NE under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Periods of rain. Temperature falling to 48-55, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 19-23)

Low pressure moves far enough away and another low in the Great Lakes is close enough to give us a push of warmer, rain-free weather for part of April 19 until a cold front swings through at night or early April 20 with showers, then a return to dry but chilly weather for much of the April 20-21 weekend. Pattern looks cool into early the following week but mainly dry.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 24-28)

Watching for unsettled weather to make a return early in the period before dry weather follows. Cooler pattern expected.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 13-17)

A holiday weekend is upon us and two thirds of it will be impacted by low pressure: today & Sunday. Yesterday’s storm system is spinning ’round up in eastern Canada and a trough around its base, combined with upper level low pressure, will bring us an unstable day today with some scattered to isolated rain showers. Most of these will stack in the mountains west of the WHW forecast area as rain/snow showers where colder air will reside. Here, the temp will be stuck in the 50s but feel a bit cooler at times with an active breeze. Sunday will be both better and not better, depending on what part of the day we’re talking about. The morning will be quite nice. And with some sunshine and the core of cool air beyond our region, we’ll see a day of 60+ high temps for most of the region, except Cape Cod which will be cooler. A fast-moving low pressure wave will come along and bring the chance of additional rain showers to our region generally from mid afternoon to mid evening, before making a quick exit to the southeast. The final third of our long weekend, Patriots Day Monday, will be governed by high pressure, bringing fair and mild weather to the region. This will be favorable for early-morning battle reenactment at Lexington Green and other activities during the day, as well as the midday Red Sox game and the Boston Marathon, though it may be a bit warm for the liking of some runners. High pressure sits southwest of our region Tuesday with a fair, milder day for most areas, but another bubble of high pressure in eastern Canada will be strong enough to send a cold front down through the region during the day, which depending on timing, can shift the wind to north and northeast, cooling the area down before the day is finished. This front will sit to our south Wednesday as low pressure heads for the Great Lakes, bringing clouds back into the region, and a wet weather threat possibly by Wednesday evening / night, again depending on timing which is not quite certain this far in advance.

TODAY: Most sun early to mid morning, then lots of clouds much of day. Passing light rain showers possible. Highs 50-57. Wind SW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts, shifting to W.

TONIGHT: Lots of clouds evening, which decrease overnight. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny morning. Clouds rapidly move in midday on. A brief passing period of very light to light rain possible mainly north of I-90 during the first half of the afternoon, and a better chance of rain showers west and southwest of Boston toward the end of the afternoon. Highs 57-64. Wind W to SW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely during the evening. Partly cloudy overnight. Lows 48-55. Wind W to NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 61-68 except cooler Cape Cod. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 45-52. Wind W up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Sunny. Highs 65-72 inland, 57-64 coast but turning cooler from north to south, especially along the coast, mid afternoon on. Wind NW 5-15 MPH shifting to N and NE.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 43-50. Wind NE under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Chance of rain at night. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 18-22)

Cool and unsettled weather April 18 as low pressure moves to our northwest and a warm front slowly travels through our region. Warmer and fair weather April 19 behind a warm front and ahead of a cold front which brings rain showers either that night or to start the April 20-21 weekend, which may remain unsettled and likely turns much cooler as upper level low pressure moves across the region after a cold front goes by. Timing suggests fair weather to end this period but below normal temperatures.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 23-27)

More emphasis on a cooler pattern heading through late April, but not as wet as recently. More clarification on this pattern in coming updates.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 12-16)

A wet & wild start to your Friday as a cold front moves across the region and continues to trigger showers and thunderstorms with downpours. Watch for poor drainage flooding during to shortly after this event, which will be on its way out later this morning to midday from southwest to northeast. Strong wind gusts are also an issue, especially in eastern coastal areas, where some tree damage is likely with resultant power outage potential. We’ll “dry slot” for the afternoon with a southwest wind behind the front. A secondary trough will swing through from west to east this evening with a possible additional rain shower, and this will lead a shot of cooler air into the region which will be with us through Saturday on a gusty westerly wind behind low pressure in eastern Canada. Upper level low pressure / cold air aloft can trigger a few diurnal rain showers (snow showers hang back in the mountains to our west and north where it’s cold enough) but the vast majority of Saturday will be dry. The wind will relax Saturday night and Sunday as we lose the direct influence of the Canadian low, but another disturbance coming around the base of the upper low will return more clouds and a wet weather chance to us Sunday afternoon and evening. It still looks like later in the day and further south stands a better chance of the wet weather, but recent short-range guidance trends have edged this system a bit further north, so I’m just including the chance of rain showers for all of the region. Either way, this system will be hauling and out of here before dawn on Monday, Patriots Day. If you are attending early morning activities in Lexington / Concord, it won’t be raining, but be aware that the ground is quite muddy due to plentiful recent precipitation. Weather will be great for spectators of the Boston Marathon but perhaps a bit warm for the liking of some race participants, and of course the traditional Red Sox game will not face any weather-related issues. Fair weather holds with high pressure nearby on Tuesday, but the high center slips eastward enough that we can warm up even more over Monday, except typical cooler coastal areas.

TODAY: Cloudy with rain showers, some heavy including the chance of thunderstorms, ending from west to east midday-afternoon. Breaking clouds later but an additional rain shower may cross central MA and southwestern NH mid afternoon. Highs 58-65, except cooler South Coast. Wind S 10-20 MPH except 20-30 MPH South Coast, higher gusts, shifting to SW later in the day.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A few passing rain showers likely. Lows 40-47. Wind SW 15-25 MPH shifting to W.

SATURDAY: Lots of clouds / intervals of sun. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 50-57. Wind W 15-25 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Decreasing clouds. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Sun dominant through midday. Clouds return in the afternoon including rain shower chances from west to east by later in the day. Highs 57-64. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely during the evening. Partly cloudy overnight. Lows 48-55. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Sun and passing clouds. Highs 61-68. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 45-52. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Sunny. Highs 65-72 inland, 57-64 coast but turning cooler midday on. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breeze developing.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 17-21)

Unsettled and cooler weather may trend milder/warmer toward mid period depending on low pressure movement and its attendant frontal boundaries. Showery episode then leads to drier weather at the end of the period when a shot of colder air is due.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 22-26)

Another unsettled/chilly stretch may open this period followed by improvement and warming again as the volatile spring pattern continues.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 11-15)

A large low pressure area will move into the Great Lakes and do a cyclonic loop there and over adjacent southern Canada before it tracks through eastern Canada over the next few days. Its warm front will cross our region today with a swath of rain moving through. We’ll get into a rain showery pattern in the warm sector this evening into Friday morning, some of them heavy, until a cold front sweeps through and introduces a dry slot during Friday afternoon. As the low tracks more to the east, passing to our north, lobes of energy around it can help create additional rain showers Friday night and Saturday, but these will be rather quick and passing. A cooling trend arrives Friday night through Saturday as well. By Sunday, we’ll be in a milder westerly flow, but another disturbance coming along will throw more clouds back at us later in the day, but the greatest chance of seeing rain showers from this system will be to the south and west of Boston in the evening and at night, favoring areas closer to the South Coast, as the system will be shunting to the south around the base of a trough still to our east. This system will be beyond our region by Monday with fair weather expected for Patriots Day activities (early morning battle reenactments in Lexington / Concord, the Boston Marathon, and the Red Sox home game).

TODAY: Overcast. Areas of fog. Patchy drizzle morning. Rain late morning through early afternoon from southwest to northeast. Highs 48-55, coolest coastal areas. Wind N to E under 10 MPH, shifting to SE 5-15 MPH later.

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Temperatures rise into/through 50s but holding closer to 50 South Coast. Wind SE-S 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with rain showers, some heavy including the chance of thunderstorms, ending from west to east midday-afternoon. Breaking clouds later. Highs 58-65, except cooler South Coast. Wind S 10-20 MPH except 20-30 MPH South Coast, higher gusts, shifting to SW later in the day.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A few passing rain showers likely. Lows 40-47. Wind SW 15-25 MPH shifting to W.

SATURDAY: Lots of clouds / intervals of sun. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 50-57. Wind W 15-25 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy through midday. More clouds later. Highs 57-64. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers, especially south and west of Boston. Lows 50-57. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Sun and passing clouds. Highs 61-68. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 16-20)

Fair weather holds April 16. Unsettled / cooler weather April 17-18. Fair weather returns later in the period.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 21-25)

Unsettled weather and below normal temperatures early in the period. Brief fair weather mid period before more unsettled weather returns but this time with a milder trend.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 10-14)

A few adjustments to be made to the shorter range outlook as we head from mid week into the long weekend, but nothing major to change except today’s high temps, which will be considerably warmer than I had originally due to the lack of easterly wind, which I thought might be established sooner. A warm front is going to take a couple of days to approach from the south then pass through our region, not fully making it until later in the day on Thursday. Before that, a disturbance from the west will return clouds to our region today at the same time the front to the south is sending its own batch our way. The initial disturbance brings the region some rain showers this evening, that then move on. The warm front brings us drizzle and periodic light rain as an ocean wind becomes established ahead of it. Once that front passes by later Thursday we see a regionwide shift to a southerly wind, which then picks up in the warm sector. The low pressure area parenting that front also has an attendant cold front which will approach the region on Friday with heavier showers. Timing on these looks like the first 2/3 of the day before we get a dry slot and some partial clearing, mild air, but lots of wind. One more batch of showers may swing through with the actual front Friday night, and a secondary trough still has to pass by Saturday as upper level low pressure crosses the region. This will keep plenty of clouds around along with a passing rain shower chance, and a gusty wind, but cooler weather. This lifts out by Sunday though and a weak, flat ridge of high pressure passing to our south will provide an interlude of fair, milder, but breezy weather. Quickly following this is another disturbance that brings back more clouds and a few rain showers, maybe even an isolated thunderstorm, on Sunday night, as that particular disturbance looks pretty potent.

TODAY: Clouds return. Late-day or evening rain showers arrive west to east. Highs 55-62 but dropping back to the upper 40s along the coast midday on. Wind variable to E up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Drizzle and patchy fog. Periodic light rain. Temperatures fall into 40s. Wind E increasing to 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Temperature hold in 40s South Coast, rise to 50s elsewhere. Wind S 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with rain showers, some heavy, ending from west to east midday-afternoon. Breaking clouds later. Highs 58-65, except cooler South Coast. Wind S 10-20 MPH except 20-30 MPH South Coast, higher gusts, shifting to SW later in the day.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. A few passing rain showers likely. Lows 40-47. Wind SW 15-25 MPH shifting to W.

SATURDAY: Lots of clouds / intervals of sun. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 50-57. Wind W 15-25 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Rain showers and a possible thunderstorm at night. Highs 57-64. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 15-19)

Monday April 15 is a big day around these parts, being Patriots Day, Marathon Monday (and not Tax Day yet because it’s a holiday here!), and don’t forgot the traditional home Red Sox game with the late morning first pitch. At this time the weather looks great. Sunday night’s disturbance will exit early in the morning taking the rain shower chance with it. Looking for a sun/cloud mix and a westerly breeze, mild air with highs 60+ most areas. Runners of the marathon may find that forecast a little too warm for liking. Earlier I thought high pressure may have moved in enough to allow a sea breeze to develop, as we see many times during that race, but not to be. Beyond: Another round of unsettled weather due for the middle of next week that should clear out by late week, but timing / details uncertain.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 20-24)

Spring is often the most uncertain season for medium range forecasting. Right now the best guidance and pattern prediction tools indicate to me that we will be in a cooler and somewhat unsettled pattern heading into late April. Will keep an eye on this trend and weed out specific weather systems and their impacts as we get closer to this time.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 9-13)

I’m still kind of wrapping my head around my experience in northern VT yesterday, witnessing a total solar eclipse. I’ll share stories and a pic or two soon via the comments. But first, onto a quick outlook on our coming weather. No big changes in the short term. Today will feature fair weather but it’ll be cooler along the coast with high pressure to our north. A warm front will make a slow approach Wednesday with an overcast sky and eventually some light rainfall. This front will face a bit of a struggle but eventually will push through the region Thursday, a showery day with a warming trend from south to north. As low pressure tracks to our northwest and north, a cold front will move across the region from west to east Friday. Ahead of it, more mild and showery weather will occur. A wind shift will bring in drier air late Friday, with some clearing, but a trough rotating around the base of the low as it heads for eastern Canada will make Saturday cool and slightly unsettled with additional showers possible.

TODAY: Partly sunny. Highs 51-58, coolest at north-facing and east-facing shores. Wind NNE 5-15 MPH shifting to E.

TONIGHT: Clouding up. Lows 41-48. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Drizzle likely. Light rain possible. Patchy fog forming. Temperatures steady 41-48. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Areas of drizzle and fog. Periodic rain. Temperatures may hold 41-48 southern NH and northern MA and rise to 49-56 to the south. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH, higher gusts possible.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Temperatures steady or may rise slightly. Wind S 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with rain showers, some heavy, ending from west to east midday-afternoon. Breaking clouds later. Highs 58-65, except cooler South Coast. Wind S 10-20 MPH with higher gusts, shifting to W by late in the day.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 35-42. Wind W 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain showers. Highs 45-52. Wind W 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 14-18)

A little adjustment to the forecast here. Still expect fair weather during the day of April 14 then a disturbance to bring a rain shower chance that night and into at least a portion of Patriots day April 15, but not expecting a widespread rain event from that. A fair interlude follows, then more unsettled weather later in the period. Still many details to work out.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 19-23)

Dry, milder early period. Unsettled weather may return later in the period with a cooling trend.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 8-12)

A narrow ridge of high pressure brings nice weather to the region today! Although some high clouds will spill over the top of the ridge axis to our west and slightly filter the sun in parts of the region during the solar eclipse this afternoon, it won’t be a significant hindrance. As a reminder, maximum coverage of the sun for Boston will be 93% at 3:29 p.m. EDT, between an eclipse start time of 2:16 p.m. EDT and end time of 4:39 p.m. EDT. One other thing to add about today is the threat of some coastal splashover and minor flooding around the time of midday-early afternoon high tide (new moon). Otherwise, the rest of the outlook through midweek remains basically unchanged. Canadian high pressure sends a dry cold front through the region later tonight and turning the wind more northeast to east on Tuesday, with cooler conditions, especially along the coast. Fenway Park will have a cool breeze for the Red Sox home opener, but it will be dry! Midweek’s unsettled weather is still on track with a warm front taking its time to approach and move through Wednesday into Thursday, finally pushing through later Thursday into Friday, when a cold front will approach from the west. Wednesday will be cool and raw with light rain and drizzle around, with more widespread rainfall likely on Thursday and more of a showery set-up in the warm sector on Friday, maybe even with a thunderstorm here and there. Look for increasing winds as the warmer air arrives ahead of that cold front, especially during Friday.

TODAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 54-61 (you may note a slight temperature drop for about 1/2 hour either side of the eclipse maximum). Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: High clouds increase. Lows 35-42. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 51-58, coolest at north-facing and east-facing shores. Wind NNE 5-15 MPH shifting to E.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouding up. Lows 41-48. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Drizzle likely. Light rain possible. Patchy fog forming. Temperatures steady 41-48. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Areas of drizzle and fog. Periodic rain. Temperatures may hold 41-48 southern NH and northern MA and rise to 49-56 to the south. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH, higher gusts possible.

THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Chance of thunderstorms Friday. Lows 45-52 Thursday night. Highs 58-65. Friday. Wind S 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 13-17)

Windy, chilly weather with passing rain/mix showers possible April 13. Fair, milder, more tranquil April 14. Fair April 15, but ocean breeze may cool us off. Unsettled weather chances increase again at the end of the period.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 18-22)

Dry, milder early period. Unsettled weather may return later in the period with a cooling trend.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 7-11)

One more day in the circulation of low pressure offshore, held up by a blocking pattern in the atmosphere, the same block that will set up great viewing conditions for tomorrow’s solar eclipse. First, we continue to be in clouds from the offshore storm much of today, but we’ll start to see a decrease later today, and especially tonight. In contrast to yesterday’s more widespread showers of rain (mixed with snow in some areas), we’ll just see a few potential light rain showers today, otherwise the day will be mainly dry. Again, regarding the solar eclipse, with the path of totality crossing far northern New England, the WHW forecast area still sees a pretty significant coverage on the sun during the event (93% at Boston, a tiny bit less to the south and a tiny bit more to the north), peaking at 3:29 p.m. EDT between a start time of 2:16 p.m. EDT and an end time of 4:39 p.m. EDT. I’ll repeat this one more time on tomorrow morning’s update for you. Post-eclipse, we’ll see some high clouds start to move in from the west over the top of a narrow ridge of high pressure that gives us our nice weather for Monday. High pressure from eastern Canada cools is down but keeps us fair Tuesday. Then we move back to unsettled weather for midweek with a cool easterly wind and an overcast with some wet weather returning ahead of a warm front on Wednesday. This front may struggle to cross the region Thursday as low pressure moves to our northwest and a large scale trough slides into the Northeast, keeping the weather wet but leaving some uncertainty on the temperature forecast for that day – could end up with a larger range across the region depending on the position / movement of the front.

TODAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Chance of a passing rain shower. Highs 45-52. Wind N 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 54-61 (you may note a slight temperature drop for about 1/2 hour either side of the eclipse maximum). Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: High clouds arrive. Lows 35-42. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 51-58, coolest at north-facing and east-facing shores. Wind NNE 5-15 MPH shifting to E.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouding up. Lows 41-48. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Drizzle likely. Light rain possible. Patchy fog forming. Temperatures steady 41-48. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Areas of drizzle and fog. Periodic rain. Temperatures may hold 41-48 southern NH and northern MA and rise to 49-56 to the south. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH, higher gusts possible.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 12-16)

Cold front approaches April 12 with numerous rain showers, possible thunderstorms, breezy/windy conditions and a push of milder air regionwide. Behind this, expect a stronger northwest wind, unsettled weather (rain/mix showers) and chilly weather for April 13. High pressure brings more tranquil and milder weather April 14-15 but on April 15 (Marathon Monday / Patriots Day) we may end up much cooler at the coast. Unsettled weather chances increase again at the end of the period.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 17-21)

Unsettled / cool start to the period, then drier / milder trend follows.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 6-10)

A low pressure circulation will continue to impact our region this weekend. Early this morning it is producing some scattered snow and rain showers in our region which will depart southward soon, but it has another slap in store for us later today – a swath of rain showers that will wheel down via Maine. That exits tonight, but some additional clouds hang around into Sunday before we see a genuine clearing trend by Sunday night. This happens as the low is nudged eastward and away from our region by a narrow but well-timed ridge of high pressure moving in from the west, just at the right time to deliver us a mainly clear sky for a solar eclipse Monday. For Boston, a 93% sun coverage will peak at 3:29 p.m. EDT with the full eclipse time frame running from 2:16 p.m. to 4:39 p.m. There are slight variations in the coverage and precise timing depending on your location. The path of totality, as you know, is across far northern New England. Visit this link for more information where you can look up details for any location: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (I’ll post a clickable version in the comments.)

Once we are beyond this spectacle and are enduring post-eclipse traffic issues, we’ll start to see high clouds fanning in from the west ahead of our next trough of low pressure. But this is going to take a while to impact us more directly, so that the weather on Tuesday looks quite nice as well. But late Monday, when I’m making my return trip from VT where I’ll have been in the path of totality, I’ll be chased by a dry cold frontal boundary that will pass by our area that night and turn our light northwesterly Monday breeze into a north northeast breeze on Tuesday, which then shifts more to the east in the afternoon as high pressure from Canada noses in our direction. This will coincide with the Red Sox home opener Tuesday afternoon. The one person I know going to that game doesn’t need my advice to dress for a cooling wind. At least the weather is going to be dry, which in recent time is a miracle for any outdoor event it seems! But our luck runs out for midweek when unsettled weather does finally arrive from the west. But this time we’ll be talking about just rain, and nothing frozen. By Wednesday a warm front will be moving in, but may be stuck just to our south, so my early leaning is a chilly, raw day, with at least some light rain/drizzle under an overcast sky. Thank goodness that isn’t coming two days sooner!

TODAY: Intervals of sun possible until midday with otherwise dominant clouds, then a thicker cloud cover thereafter. Early-day rain/snow showers around, a break, then more widespread rain showers later in the day, favoring the eastern half of the region (southeastern NH, eastern MA, RI). Highs 41-48. Wind NW 5-15 MPH with higher gusts.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. An evening shower of rain and/or snow possible. Lows 33-40. Wind NNW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Chance of a passing rain shower. Highs 45-52. Wind N 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 54-61 (you may note a slight temperature drop for about 1/2 hour either side of the eclipse maximum). Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: High clouds arrive. Lows 35-42. Wind NW to N 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 51-58, coolest at north-facing and east-facing shores. Wind NNE 5-15 MPH shifting to E.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouding up. Lows 41-48. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Drizzle likely. Light rain possible. Patchy fog forming. Temperatures steady 41-48. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 11-15)

Low pressure traveling northwest of our region will finally drag a warm front through April 11 into April 12 putting us in a mild but rain showery southerly air flow. Strong cold front then travels through the region by later April 12 with heavier showers and even a chance for thunderstorms. Extended weekend April 13-15 should feature a variety of weather, based on current projected timing and use of most reliable medium range guidance. Saturday (13) would be windy/chilly with clouds and a few showers of rain maybe even some frozen stuff to the north. Sunday (14) features fair and milder weather, which continues for Monday (15) – aka Marathon Monday and a very popular midday Red Sox home game. Could we luck out again with good weather? Maybe some clouds moving in. But now we’re talking about day 10 and low confidence so check back often!

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 16-20)

Another dive into cool / unsettled weather is expected early in the period, but this should be followed by another drier/milder stretch later on.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 5-9)

We will remain on the westerly side of the circulation of the low pressure area that brought us the midweek storm today through the weekend, but the impact on our region will be a little different each day, from scattered rain/snow showers today to a more widespread swath of rain showers Saturday to just lingering clouds and maybe a passing sprinkle of rain on Sunday. Just in time for a solar eclipse on Monday, high pressure builds in with sunshine and milder air. A weak cold front will slip down from the north Tuesday, pushed by an eastern Canadian high pressure area, and this will send slightly cooler weather into the region at that time. We’ll also see some high clouds spilling into the region post-eclipse on Monday and especially Monday night and Tuesday as low pressure moves through the Midwest and Great Lakes.

TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Occasional light snow/rain showers. Highs 40-47. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Occasional light snow showers, may dust the ground in a few locations. Lows 31-38. Wind WNW 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. More widespread snow or rain showers early then rain showers. Highs 41-48. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Diminishing rain showers evening. Lows 33-40. Wind NNW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Chance of a passing rain shower. Highs 45-52. Wind N 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Solar eclipse begins 2:16 p.m., maximum coverage (92-95% southeast to northwest across the WHW forecast area) at 3:29 p.m., ends at 4:39 p.m. Highs 54-61 (you may note a slight temperature drop for about 1/2 hour either side of the eclipse maximum). Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 35-42. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 51-58. Wind N 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 10-14)

Early to mid period unsettled weather as a low pressure trough moves through. Late period improvement as high pressure builds back in. Temperatures near to above normal.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 15-19)

Fair weather may start the period (Patriots Day / Boston Marathon April 15). Mid period unsettled weather chances are higher. Late period fair weather should return. But getting out in the double-digit days ahead this can’t be a high confidence outlook when that much change is involved, so check back as this outlook is fine-tuned.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 4-8)

Low pressure moves across the region early today (track across southeastern MA) then slowly makes its way into the Gulf of Maine where it hangs around until the weekend, then gradually shifts away to the east. Impacts from this system have been as expected in general, and will continue as described previously, with a variety of precipitation, most frozen stuff to the north and west, to mainly rain South Coast with some mix/variety in between. This just becomes lingering rain/snow showers by Friday and a few rain showers by Saturday until we’re just down to lingering clouds Sunday. The worst of the wind has already occurred, but we’ll still have strong east to north winds in much of the region as the low pulls through (with more variable winds around the track of low pressure). We’ll be in a generally moderate northerly air flow Friday into the weekend. Finally, high pressure builds in with fair weather and favorable conditions for solar eclipse viewing on Monday! More detail soon on that.

TODAY: Cloudy. Steady precipitation tapers to rain/snow showers. Highs 36-43, may spike to 43-50 Cape Cod. Wind NE-N 10-20 MPH inland, 20-30 MPH coast but may become variable Cape Cod, higher gusts probable.

TONIGHT / FRIDAY: Mainly cloudy with additional rain/snow showers. Lows 33-40. Highs 38-45. Wind N 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

FRIDAY NIGHT / SATURDAY: Lots of clouds. A few rain/snow showers Friday night and a few rain showers Saturday. Lows 30-37 Friday night. Highs 41-48 Saturday. Wind N-NW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 33-40. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 47-54. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 33-40. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 51-58. Wind NW up to 10 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 9-13)

High pressure and fair weather April 9. Unsettled weather potential returns mid period before improvement late period. Temperatures near to above normal.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 14-18)

Mild and fair to start, then a cooling trend with potential unsettled weather follows that as high pressure is replaced by a low pressure trough.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 3-7)

The key aspects of the upcoming storm, the main part of which occurs later today through early Thursday, will be wind and rain for southern and eastern areas and somewhat wind but mostly sleet and wet snow further west and north. The idea is generally the same for this as yesterday’s update, and that’s for the next round of precipitation (after last night’s entering and dissipating rainfall area) to arrive during this morning and midday from southwest to northeast and grow steady and moderate to at times heavy, with mixing and turning over to sleet and wet snow taking places earliest and most completely over interior higher elevations (mainly Worcester Hills to Monadnock Region) and progress generally but somewhat unevenly to the east from there, mostly the I-495 to I-95 belts to the north of I-90. The uneven advance will be due to mixing / changing occurring in heavier pockets of precipitation as they translate east and northeast. These pockets do a more efficient transport of colder air downward to aid in the process. I do think the track of a secondary low will be across far southeastern New England but close enough that the mix/change process can’t really take place further south, which is why I expect a mainly rain event with maybe some occasional mixing in these locations. As the low center moves away it will do so very slowly – held up a bit by blocking – during Thursday and Friday when we’ll have additional rain and snow showers. The wind aspect will be most notable tonight and early Thursday when we have the strongest gradient and onshore winds north of the low’s track. This can result in some damage to trees and scattered power outages. We’ll also have the chance to see some tree damage and power outages in the hilly terrain to the north and west where snow accumulates the most. With surface temperatures a little too warm to support icing, that won’t be a factor, and sleet does not generally lead to load problems for trees, so even where that accumulates it shouldn’t add much to the problems. For sleet/snow accumulation, I’m expecting 4-8 inches in the highest elevations of the Worcester Hills to Monadnocks, and in pockets further east in southern NH with 2-4 inches southeast of there into the the I-495 belt north of I-90, then pockets of slushy coatings to 2 inch amounts south and east of there but favoring inland areas north of I-90. Fast forward a little to the weekend when we’ll see gradual improvement as the low pressure area that is still impacting the region with clouds and a few rain showers Saturday will lose its grip Sunday when we will see better weather. Hang in there!

TODAY: Hint of sun eastern areas early, then re-thickening overcast. Rain arrives west to east, may mix with sleet and/or snow by later in the day over interior higher elevations northwest of Boston. Highs 40-47 early, then slowly falling. Wind NE-E 10-20 MPH, gusty.

TONIGHT: Overcast. Rain, heavy at times, will mix with and turn to sleet/snow at times favoring north central MA and southern NH. Lows 33-40. Wind E-NE 10-20 MPH inland, 20-30 MPH coast, higher gusts.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Steady precipitation tapers to rain/snow showers. Highs 38-45, may spike to 45-52 Cape Cod. Wind NE-N 10-20 MPH inland, 20-30 MPH coast but may become variable Cape Cod, higher gusts probable.

THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY: Mainly cloudy with additional rain/snow showers. Temperatures generally steady 38-45. Wind variable becoming N 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.

FRIDAY NIGHT / SATURDAY: Lots of clouds. A few rain/snow showers Friday night and a few rain showers Saturday. Lows 30-37 Friday night. Highs 41-48 Saturday. Wind N-NW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 33-40. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY: Partly to mostly sunny. Highs 47-54. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 8-12)

High pressure and fair weather April 8-9. Favorable sky conditions expected for solar eclipse viewing on April 8 (partial but greater than 90% coverage for WHW forecast areas while path of totality crosses far northern New England). Unsettled weather potential returns mid into late period. Temperatures near to above normal.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 13-17)

A more west-to-east flow means variable temperatures and weaker weather systems to pass through, including a couple rain shower threats to start. May need to watch for a return to some blocking later on in the period with onshore flow and cooler weather.