That’s what you’ll need if you’re headed outside today (maybe your bathing suit too so you can take a dip in water to cool off)! The summer heat we’ve been talking about for days is surging into New England; temperatures are going to soar into the upper 80s to lower 90s this afternoon. Dewpoints won’t be too bad though – so that “stickiness” factor will be kept to a minimum.

Tomorrow, high pressure positioned to the south of the region will slide offshore, bringing a south-southwest wind into New England. In turn, the heat just keeps on coming. Highs will once again flirt with 90 under a blend of sun and clouds. Relief from the heat will be found on the Cape, Islands and south coast, with highs around 80. If you’re headed out on the water, the wind will gust to 25 mph, and waves will be running around 2′-4′.

Saturday evening, clouds will increase in the North Country, and isolated thunderstorms will be possible out ahead of a cold front coming from the Great Lakes. We’ll have to dodge a few showers on Sunday morning as this front slides eastward. Behind this boundary, a secondary cold front will approach New England, bubbling up clouds and scattered showers/storms during the afternoon and evening.

So, even though Father’s Day may not be completely dry – it will not be a washout by any means, so don’t cancel your outdoor plans! Just keep a watchful eye to the northwest sky.

Looking ahead to next week – a typical summer time pattern will persist with highs in the middle 80s and a chance of afternoon thunder as fast moving disturbances push through.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend everybody. And Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s out there…including my own!

-Danielle

Yesterday’s cool, unsettled weather culminated during the afternoon and evening with severe storms in southern New England. Two of these storms exhibited strong rotation, prompting the National Weather Service to issue two separate tornado warnings; one in Southern Litchfield County, CT around 3 PM (a funnel cloud was spotted on the village green in Litchfield around 3:20 PM), and the second in Southern Windham County at 7 PM. Wind damage and small hail was also reported in Worcester County, MA. To see yesterday’s storm reports, click here.

Today, the weather is quiet. Clouds and fog this morning will gradually break up, giving way to increasing sunshine this afternoon and especially this evening. Highs will be in the 70s across in the interior today and in the upper 60s along the coast with a wind blowing off the water. Still running a bit below the average for this time of year, but we’ll take it! Summer time heat has been building to our south though…and the question is, does this warmth ever make it into New England?

The answer is no. Don’t get me wrong, it will be warmer than the past few days – but the real deep heat will stay to our south and west for the time being. Cooler air (relatively speaking) will be in place in across eastern Canada and this clash of temperature will put New England right in the middle. In turn, a bit of unsettled weather is in the cards for both Saturday and Sunday.

So let’s talk about the details. Other than a few showers in the North Country Saturday morning, much of the region will be dry and sunny. Clouds will increase throughout the day, and the threat for scattered showers and thunderstorms (some of which could be strong) will come into play during the afternoon and evening. There’s an even better chance for some storms overnight on Saturday as a warm front tries to press into New England. Out ahead of the front, we’ll contend with clouds, some sun and more widespread shower activity (perhaps a few thunderstorms) on Sunday. Highs will generally run in the 70s both days, and the humidity will creep up through the weekend.

Now I know I’ve said it a million times (ok maybe not a million)..but it never hurts to remind you to keep a watchful eye to the sky and when those clouds get dark and thunder roars – go indoors!

Have a great weekend everybody. See you on Monday!
-Danielle

What a great way to end the work week across New England today! We’ll enjoy practically wall to wall sunshine as high pressure builds down from eastern Canada. Our coastlines will be coolest this afternoon with a wind blowing in off the water. Head about 30-40 miles inland and temps will be much warmer- middle to upper 70s, maybe even a few 80 degree readings in the CT River Valley. The weekend still looks good for most of us, although there are some subtle changes that could impact Sunday’s weather in particular…

But let’s start with what we know for sure – Saturday looks beautiful as high pressure remains in control. Temps will once again warm to the 70s inland but hold in the 60s along the coast with afternoon sea breezes. Expect a mix of sun and clouds with a slight chance of a shower or isolated rumble of thunder in the mountains.

Then things become a bit trickier on Sunday. Fog will develop along the south coast late Saturday night and gradually penetrate inland as a moist southerly wind advects off the cool ocean waters. The fog will be tough to burn off during the day on Sunday, particularly from Old Saybrook to Stonington, Newport, Buzzards Bay and the Islands. Meanwhile, an upper level disturbance over the mid Atlantic will inch closer, spreading scattered showers into southern New England, especially CT and RI. The Boston area may also have to contend with a few showers, but at the very least there will be more cloud cover than there was on Saturday. Your best bet? Head to the lakes and mountains! Northern New England will enjoy the most sunshine with temps in the 70s.

Summertime heat is poised to build into region early next week – so get those ACs ready! Some towns will flirt with 90 on Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday. We’ll have to keep a close eye on a backdoor front that will tease the region around the middle to latter portion of the week with the potential for cooler temps, especially on the coast. Plenty of time to work out the details on that, though.

Have a great weekend everyone!
-Danielle

While today might not be the best of days out there, improvement is in sight, and the timing couldn’t be any better! But before we talk about the weekend, let’s focus on today. It’ll be cloudy and cool this afternoon for many of us, with highs either side of 60. The good news is that today is not a wash out by any means. In fact, much of the afternoon will be dry. If we can get some breaks of sunshine out (if being the operative word), then the strong May sun angle will help to boost temperatures into the 70s. The best chance for this to occur will be across southwestern New England as a warm front tries to lift northward. Further to the west is a cold front, and this boundary will slide through New England this evening sparking a few showers and perhaps an isolated thunderstorm.

Energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere will still need to rotate through on Saturday, which means clouds will build during the afternoon, and scattered showers will be likely across the North Country, with a few of them coming as far south as central New England. The wind will be active out of the northwest gusting up to 40 mph as times. Meanwhile temps will be in the lower 60s in northern New England to around 70 south. By Sunday, high pressure will be in control, giving us a beautiful day! Expect mostly sunny skies and temps in the 70s. This gorgeous weather lasts right on into Monday before we cool down by the middle of next week with rain developing on Tuesday.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
-Danielle

The type of weather you’ll experience today totally depends on where you are. I guess that’s always the case, but a simple “sunny all around” or “rain for everyone” will not suffice to sum up the forecast today. For parts of southern New England, it’ll be cloudy and cool with light showers through the afternoon. The showers will have a tough time making their way north and east because we have so much dry air in place right at the surface, so the best chance for showers will be south of the MA pike. Temps will run below average, either side of 50 in general. As you work your way into central and northern New England, more and more sunshine will be out (northeastern MA will see sun too) – and that sunshine will aid in boosting temperatures into the lower 60s for some of us. By this evening, any left over showers in southern CT, RI and southeast MA will be wrapping up as clouds decrease and the storm center pulls away from New England. A slight wind shift (aka – “trough” in the world of meteorology) will slide through Maine and may spark an isolated shower during the evening.

By tomorrow, high pressure takes control of our weather once again, so we’ll enjoy a blend of sun and clouds and temps either side of 60. The progressive weather pattern continues though, and another area of low pressure will bring a bit of unsettled weather on Friday. Expect more clouds than sun with scattered showers during the morning and afternoon. Fortunately, it’s a fast moving storm, so the weekend is still looking great! Aside from a passing shower in the North Country on Saturday, expect a pleasant blend of sun and clouds and temps around 70 both days! Perfect timing right?

Have a great Wednesday everyone ~
Danielle

I always get excited when I see lightning for the first time each spring, even though I’ve seen lightning thousands of times! Yesterday while driving south on 128 from Woburn during the early evening, I spotted a storm off to my east and the weather geek in me was going crazy. Several cloud to grounds lightning strikes later, I decided I should probably keep my eyes on the road!

I bet many New Englanders caught a glimpse of some lightning yesterday as scattered showers and storms pushed through the region. The picture above was taken by flickr.com user Surly2010 from Sharon, MA “just before the thunder started and a cool wind kicked in”. The strongest of the storms contained downpours, damaging wind gusts and hail. Now, the same cold front responsible for these storms is offshore, and we’re left with a quieter weather day today.

That being said, lots of clouds will prevail in eastern New England, and these clouds may even produce a few sprinkles later on today. Meanwhile, western New England will see the most sunshine as high pressure builds into New York. Temperatures today will come into the 60s for most of the region, 50s when you come back to the North Country and Maine where periodic showers will linger much of the day.

We continue to sweep away the clouds overnight – and by tomorrow morning, bright sunshine will prevail for one and all. It is going to be an absolutely beautiful day to start the weekend! Local sea breezes will kick in along the coast, inhibiting temps from rising much above the middle 60s. For the remainder of New England though expect upper 60s to around 70.

Sunday will not be nearly as wonderful as Saturday, but then again, it all depends on location. Clouds will thicken out ahead of a storm system coming out of the Midwest. Rain will develop in Connecticut first (during the morning), and slowly spread north and east likely reaching the remainder of southern New England by midday. Much of central and northern New England should stay dry though.

Unsettled weather will continue into the beginning of next week as waves of low pressure pass by the northeast. By the end of the week we could be talking about a bit of a warm up though! Keep you posted on that…

Have a great weekend!
-Danielle

Whether it was walking the dog, reading a book, going for a run or just soaking up the sun, it seemed like everyone was out and about yesterday enjoying the beautiful weather. And I have a feeling even more people will be outside today! Dense fog once again this morning is burning off at our coastlines and valleys as bright sunshine takes over. During this morning’s weather casts, I mentioned that temperatures would run about 20-25 degrees ABOVE average for this time of year. Well, I lied.

They are actually going to be 20-30+ degrees above the normal in some spots! Take Burlington, VT for example: the typical high this time of year? 48 degrees. I’m forecasting 84 today in the Champlain Valley which means records will be broken again today in several places. (I outlined some of the previous records to beat in yesterday’s blog if you’re interested.)

With a wind from the south and local sea breezes taking hold this afternoon, our coastlines will be coolest, generally running in the 60s (50s on the Cape). Tomorrow, a DRY cold front crosses New England bringing some clouds and a wind shift. The change in wind direction from south to west-northwest means mild air will penetrate all the way to the coastline, where temperatures will be warmest tomorrow. Folks on the Cape and Islands will be the exception once again (yes that means you Mom & Dad), as is typical this time of year. Highs will top out around 60.

No complaints about this weather from me…although I have to admit that I would love to be doing something fun outside! Guess I’ll just have to eat my lunch out by the picnic table today!

I’ll be in again for Joe tomorrow morning because he’ll be reporting live from Fenway for the Sox home opener vs. the Yanks! See you then.

Whatever sunshine is left out there this morning will fade behind increasing clouds throughout the afternoon today. Temperatures will rise into the 40s in northern New England and at our coastlines with a wind off the water. The interior will manage to squeeze out another day in the 50s. My forecast thinking hasn’t changed too much, although I should add that there’s a slight chance of a passing shower or sprinkle today in advance of a warm front over southern New Jersey. This front will turn stationary tonight and tomorrow, meaning steady rain stays to our south…for now.

Yesterday I was thinking that steadier showers may try to make their way into southern New England tomorrow, but that does not look like the case (which is good news, right?). Northern New England may even hold on to some filtered sunshine through the day on Friday, while central and southern New England stay mostly cloudy.

My current thinking is that some patchy light rain and drizzle will develop on Friday night and early Saturday in southern New England. Steadier rainfall will move in during the afternoon and evening from southwest to northeast, reaching as far north as southern VT and NH. The heaviest rain arrives overnight Saturday and Sunday morning, falling the hardest south of the MA Pike. I’m still thinking rainfall totals will generally run between 1-2 inches for much of New England (lesser amounts in the North Country). A persistent onshore flow will continue through the weekend, gusting at times over 40 mph at the shore.

The storm will pass south and east of Nantucket on Monday. Counter-clockwise flow around this area of low pressure means that a north-northeast wind will wrap colder air down from eastern Canada into New England. In turn, we could be dealing with rain AND snow showers early Monday, although little if any snow should accumulate.

Random side note: 4 of my friends from my grad school days down at Florida State are visiting Beantown for the first time this weekend (2 coming from Texas, 2 from Florida)! I told them they should have come last weekend because the weather was perfect! Oh well, we’ll just need to have the umbrella handy while we tour the city.

Will update you tomorrow on any changes. Have a great Thursday!

After yesterday’s wild weather – heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail and damaging wind – we can all relax a bit today as New England enjoys quiet conditions in between storm systems. Winds are still a bit active out of the northwest, gusting at times to 35 mph, though they will diminish as the day wears on. Look for seasonable temperatures this afternoon under mostly sunny skies in southern New England and partly to mostly cloudy conditions in the north. After a mostly clear evening, clouds will increase overnight as a warm front approaches from the Mid-Atlantic. Temperatures will bottom out relatively early, then increase toward dawn as winds shift to the southwest.

Tomorrow, showers will develop by mid-morning in CT then slowly spread north and east during the day, reaching the Boston area during the afternoon. Rain will continue off and on through the evening then taper off from west to east late Friday night.

After a dreary early morning along the south coast, high pressure will build into the region making for a great start to the holiday weekend. Expect a blend of clouds and sunshine by the afternoon with temperatures mainly in the upper 50s north to middle 60s south. We’ll do it all over again on Sunday, although a weak disturbance tracking across southern Canada may trigger a few showers in the North Country during the afternoon.

High pressure will remain in control on Columbus Day with another crisp fall beauty in store for New England. Temperatures will be a couple of notches cooler than Sunday but with abundant sunshine and light winds, it will feel like the perfect autumn day. A disturbance will swing through Monday night and Tuesday with a few rain or wet snow (yes snow!) showers. Otherwise unseasonably cool and dry weather will persist into the middle of next week.

So in a nutshell: Keep the umbrella handy tomorrow and make plans to get outside this weekend. Have a great Thursday!

After some brief sunshine to start the day in parts of region, the rain has moved into New England and will continue to fall - steadily and heavily at times - throughout the day today and overnight tonight. The primary concerns here revolve around the potential for minor flooding of streets and small streams…

With all of the recent rainfall, the ground continues to remain saturated – meaning that it will take less rainfall than is typical to produce flash flooding. Take it slow on the roadways today, keeping an eye out for big puddles as well as streets covered in water. The primary rule to remember: turn around, don’t drown. Do not attempt to drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway, because the water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely, and the roadway may be washed out underneath it all. Much of New England will see the potential for an inch or two of rainfall, (some spots have already seen that much) with locally higher amounts in the heaviest bands of rain that move through.

The rain will taper off across northwestern New England late today, but another area of rain will develop across southern New England bringing the next round of downpours and embedded thunder. Otherwise, expect dense fog to form overnight, with a light and variable wind and temperatures in the 60s for most.

The good news here is that after a gray and foggy start on Saturday morning, especially across southeast MA, the Cape and Islands where a few showers may linger for a time, sunshine will be the rule for the remainder of the day as a weak ridge of high pressure builds into New England. Highs will generally be in the lower 80s, with a light wind turning onshore at our coastlines as a sea breeze. Sunshine continues for the day on Sunday, although clouds will build during the afternoon as the next cold front approaches from the west. This will bring the threat for some scattered thunderstorms late in the day across western New England especially. It’ll still be relatively warm and a bit humid, with temperatures generally in the lower 80s, middle to upper 70s directly along the coast.

This cold front will continue to push through eastern New England on Monday, and may serve as the focus for a scattered shower or thunderstorm. The same goes for Tuesday as yet another cold front is expected to make its way towards New England. All the while, a big ridge of high pressure remains off the eastern seaboard keeping us in the warm and humid airmass.

For now, it’s time to continue to hydrate in preparation for the Pan-Mass Challenge tomorrow! As a first time rider I can say that I am a bit anxious…but it’s an excited anxious, not a nervous feeling. I can’t wait to get out on the bike tomorrow and ride for an amazing cause. A special thank you goes out in advance to all of the volunteers that will be working both Saturday and Sunday. And to all the riders – especially my fellow Team NECN’ers – good luck!! See you on the road