Beware of August…7/29/13

We are nearly two thirds through meteorological summer, and so far, it has been everything as advertised here in New England. Boston has reached 90+ degrees 17 times so far this summer. This is three more times than an average summer. In addition, despite most of July being on the dry side, recent downpours have continued the trend of a wetter than normal summer around here. Speaking of rain, I would like to apologize for the unexpected turn to rather cold and rainy weather at the end of last week. Looking back at my forecast, I certainly didn’t say that was going to happen! With all of the technology at are disposal these days, Mother Nature still holds the upper hand at the accuracy of forecasts, especially after 3 days. Sometimes the weather changes so rapidly, that once I publish a forecast, it already has changed!

Speaking of change, last week certainly had its share of that! I found it fascinating how we transitioned from record hot temperatures of near 100 degrees back on July19th, to nearly 40 degrees cooler just one week later! In between we experienced a cloud burst of rain of biblical proportions back on Tuesday. It was then, and only then, that the cooler, drier air finally penetrated the area. It just showed me just how strong that Bermuda ridge of high pressure really was. The heat wave was supposed to break last Saturday on the 20th. All models showed a strong cold front plowing into the heat generating a line of severe weather and torrential downpours.

So what happened? As the front pushed south, it was becoming more evident as the day went on, that the front was fizzling out. Yes, it did bring a drop in air temperature, which fell from the 90’s to the 80’s. However, with the front just washing out across the area, the humidity never really left! It took more energy from the northern jet stream to slam into the ridge to beat it down and finally push the cool air in here. It was on Tuesday, when another piece of energy finally ignited tapped into the deep levels of humidity across the area, resulting in the torrential downpours. After that system moved out, cooler and drier air was finally able to filter into New England.

So what’s August looking like this year? Does this cooler weather signal the end of summer? I don’t believe so. What I do believe is that this is summer’s half time break. In fact, if you are not a fan of an early fall chill, which I know my sister is not, you may want to skip this portion of the blog! I believe we are in for quite a changeable month of August this year.

First, we must face the facts. August is a month when we begin to lose sunlight on a daily basis. With the sun angle lowering, this allows cooler air to begin to pool across the Noth Pole. It doesn’t happen avery year, but sometimes, if a strong enough ridge builds out in the western part of the country, a deep trough digs into the eastern half of the country, sending a shot of unseasonably cool air into our area. To some degree this looks like it’s going to happen this week, with a couple chilly nights. Next week, however, we really may be reaching for an extra blanket at night, with some lows possibly dipping into the 40’s!

So, is that it? Will this be the beginning of fall, sending us into a bitter cold winter? I think not! After the cold shot to bring in August, there are many signs that summer part II will be arriving.  It may not get as hot as it did in July, but it certainly may get just as muggy.  We may even squeek out another heat wave in the process. Here’s where it gets interesting. We will be moving into the peak of hurricane season. In addition, our ocean temperatures will be reaching their maximum. What this means, is that in the end, that Bermuda High will be the culprit that does us in. I believe that at the same time the Bermuda High builds towards us during the second half of August, is where we need to be on gaurd for a hurricane roaring up the coast striking New England. It will be a month of extremes, one that will be remembered for possibly record cold,  terrible humidity, then possibly a hurricane!

Before I get to my forecast, I did want to update everyone with the tropical update. We have been following the fourth named storm in the Atlantic named Dorian. Dorian has been battling wind shear and dry air, basically inhibiting the storm from strengthening. Over the next couple of days, this may change, as it moves into a more favorable environment for development. If it survives, we still need to monitor some impact from Dorian in the Bahama’s, then possibly the southeast coast of the United States. Later, this moisture may eventually get absorbed in a cold front and affect New England.  As stated above, look for the tropics to quickly become active as we move through August. The next named storm after Dorian will be Erin.

Now for your weekly outdoor summer vacation and activity forecast. I will rate this week another 7 out of 10. Look for clouds and a  chance of a quick shower or thunderstorm for the first part of this afternoon. It will also be on the muggy side, with highs near 80. Then watch for a northwest wind to pick up later this afternoon, bringing with it clearing skies, and drier conditions, making for a pleasant evening. Open the windows tonight, and let the cooler and drier air filter through the house, lows will drop into the 50’s in rural areas and lower 60’s in the cities.

Expect fantastic weather for tomorrow and Wednesday, with low humidity, and sunny skies. High temperatures will be in the lower 80’s both days, and lows will be in the 50’s and lower 60’s. One thing about Wednesday, there may be some decorative high clouds  ahead of the next system, so it may not be totally sunny. It should be dry Wednesday evening for outdoor activities.

For Thursday, expect cloudy weather, and showers will likely be moving in during the late afternoon. It still may make it to 80, so it shouldn’t be too cool. Expect rain for Thursday night into the first part of Friday. Thereafter, clouds may break later in the day. It will be cooler, with highs mainly in the mid 70’s.

Right now, there may be another system coming through on Saturday, with clouds and some sun, and maybe a few showers, this does not appear to be a washout by any means.  If this system moves out as expected, Sunday should turn out to be a beautiful day, with sunshine, low humidity, and highs near 80.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will be monitoring the early season cool shot coming our way, and will let you know just how chilly it will get! I will also begin to closely monitor the tropics and have your new tropical update. I will also have your latest summer vacation forecast. In the meantime, remember that big storms have come and gone. We just move forward. Do we have a choice?

Thanks for reading,

Pete

Settling back to normal…7/22/13

After the unprecedented heat wave of last week, the weather patterns will be settling back to more normal conditions over the next week or two. If you thought that this felt like the hottest its been in years, you were right! The last time we had a stretch of hot weather like this was back in August of 2002, when we had 8 straight days of 90 degree + weather here in Boston. In fact, the 7 day heat wave tied for the 3rd longest in cities history. The longest still stands way back in the torrid summer of 1912, when we had 9 straight days of 90+ degress from July 3rd to the 11th.

However, as I said last week, heat waves come in different flavors. This particular one which just ended, seemed much worse than anything that I could remember! As I mentioned, this heat wave had origins from the deep tropics, bringing with it outrageous levels of humidity, making the heat index feel as if it were 110 degrees at times! For folks who make there living working outdoors, this past week was especially difficult. 

A good friend of mine who runs his own landscsaping business said last Friday was particularly brutal to be outdoors working. And this made perfect sense, with temperatures closing in on the century mark, and humidity levels off the chart, this is a recipe for very tough outdoor working conditions. Another tough one is the job my delivery crews do during oppressive weather like this. The job is hard as it is, but imagine delivering large and heavy appliances to the third floor! We could go on and on mentioning different jobs people perform in conditions like this. What about postal carriers, firemen, road construction crews, painters & carpenters,  ect. Suffice to say, heat like this takes a toll on everyone, but especially these people. I don’t believe these people are looking for sympathy, but we need to respect what they do, and help them out in any way we can.

We know it’s been hot here in New England, but what has the weather been like for the rest of the country so far half way through this summer? As usual, we seem to be having our own type of climate this summer. Not that it hasn’t been hot across some parts of the country, it has, just not the usual places you would think would be hot. For instance, many years, our hot weather originates from the midwest. So far this summer, this hasn’t been the case. In fact, our hot weather is originating from the deep tropics this year, and is being pushed from east to west, or backing in from the Atlantic Ocean! This is very unusal! Not that we have a Bermuda High, this occurs nearly every summer, but that it’s so strong this year, and that it’s “bullying” all the other players on the field that typically govern our weather patterns. For this summer, the intense heat has been found in the interior southwest, parts of the northwest, and New England and middle atlantic states. Ares in the middle have had a much cooler summer than last year!

 After a near record wet June, July has been a much drier month here in New England! In fact, I do believe I see some lawns beginning to brown out! This will change over the next week or two, as many of us will have our lawns watered by Mother Nature. I don’t expect flooding, but a few good soakers could be on the way tomorrow, then again at the beginning of next week. This will also help keep us cooler, possibly for the balance of the month. Despite the cooler weather, this month will still average out to be a much warmer than normal month.

Now for the tropical update. Some people have been asking me whether I think the hurricane season will be a dud. The short answer I have for them is… NO!  New England, do not let your gaurd down! It’s perfectly normal not to get tropical storms and hurricanes developing in the Atlantic in July. In fact, seasons that have early development during June and July, tend to fizzle out later in the season. The ocean temperatures are at record high levels off New England! This has major consequences as we head into August and September. As I have been saying,  I am expecting a strong hurricane to strike New England this year. As we move deeper into the season, you will see a rapid increase named storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean. Beginning August 1st, I will be on the official hurricane watch for the storm I am expecting to strike New England…so stay tuned!

Now for your weekly outdoor summer vacation forecast. I will give this week a 7 out of 10. Not bad, but certainly not as hot, nor as dry as last week. Expect muggy conditions today, again, not as muggy as last week, but the drier air is slowly oozing into New England.  The front that crawled through on Saturday has stalled just to our south. This is resulting in a battle of the air masses, resulting in clouds and areas of rain.  

Look for clouds to continue to increase during the day, with highs in the lower 80’s. Too bad, as we most likely will not be able to see the full “Thunder Moon” tonight. Muggy weather will continue tonight through Tuesday night. In addition, be prepared for areas of heavy showers and maybe a couple thunderstorms, especially tomorrow afternoon and evening. Watch for rain to be ending early Wednesday, followed by clearing skies and lowering humidity, with highs in the lower 80’s.

For Thursday and Friday, expect mostly very dry, pleasant summer weather, with highs in the 70’s along the coast and lower 80’s inland. Just be aware, there may be a pop up air mass convergence thunderstorm on Friday, due to an onshore wind.  Right now, it looks like it may become more warm and humid this weekend, with sun along with some clouds, highs will be mainly in the lower 80’s. There may be a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm on Sunday, so keep an eye to the sky for that. Even cooler and drier conditions look to push into New England come next week.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will have my preview for the month of August. I will also have your weekly vacation forecast, as well as a new tropical update. In the meantime, looking back at what we went through last week, sometimes normal is good. In fact, I would be willing to bet that many people would say it’s great! They say everything in moderation. That would be some good advice to give to Mother Nature!

Pete

Now we’re cookin’! 7/15/13

After a brief break from the heat & humidity last week, we are now in our second day on what could be a 7 day heat wave for many areas here in southern New England! I knew it was going to much warmer yesterday compared to Saturday, but boy did the temperatures ever soar up into the low 90’s so quickly! In fact, it already marked the 10th day of 90+ degrees in Boston this summer, and we are only just about half way through it! By the time this week is over, we will have eclipsed our annual average number of days of 90 degree weather in an average summer (average is 14 in Boston). This will line up very nicely with my forecast of between 15 and 20 days of 90 degrees this summer. The wild card is if this heat is going to continue into August, possibly challenging some of our hottest summers on record!

We know the first part of July has been hot. How hot you ask? Well, after this week, Boston may be averaging a whopping 8 degrees above the normal! Considering this is the warmest time of the year on average anyway, these kind of departures makes it feel even hotter. And it’s not just the heat. If you have lived in New England for any amount of time, the old saying goes, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”! As explained in earlier blogs, the heat this summer is not coming from Canada, as it does some years. This heat has origins from the deep tropics, riding north over the Atlantic Ocean. When this heat arrives here in New England, it’s loaded with moisture, making our dew point temperatures (the measure of water droplets in the air) in the oppressive zone for much of the summer. Anytime the dew point temperature rises above 70, that’s considered oppressive. Some dew point readings were actually close to 80 last week! Expect similar oppressive dew point readings this week.

So what about the second half of July? Is this heat going to continue? If it were, it would probably go down as one of the hottest July’s on record! I’m not saying it’s going to get cold, but after this week, things will begin to balance itself out a bit. We all know  that Mother Nature likes to balance her checking account called earth. I will explain this in more detail in my forecast, but after Saturday, we can expect a period of cooler and drier weather to arrive next week, not this week!!  We may heat up once again to close out July. Looking way ahead into August, I do believe this pattern will repeat itself, so expect more periods of very warm to hot temperatures to continue.

After our third tropical storm Chantel developed last week, things have become quiet once again in the tropics. As the season matures, look for the ocean temperatures warm, and upper level winds relax, tropical activity will begin to blossom in earnest come August. I Have said it before, and I will say it again. We have to be on gaurd here in New England for a land falling hurricane to strike us in either August or September. The players are on the field, or as Joe Bastardi from WeatherBell Analytics puts it, “the ducks are lining up on the pond”.

These are very similar weather patterns this summer as we had back in the 1950’s and 60’s. Coincidentally, several hurricanes struck New England during these years, causing massive flooding and tree damage. With ocean temperatures so warm, and the Bermuda High solidly in place steering disturbances towards the west this summer, I expect a hurricane to develop off the southeast coast and head north right into New England this year. I will certainly keep everyone posted with this potential as the we move deeper into the summer.

Now for your weekly outdoor summer actrivity/vacation  forecast. I will rate this week a 9 out of 10. This will be a great week for vacation and any other activities involving lakes or the ocean. Expect heat wave conditions with high heat advisories to continue for much of southern New England for the rest of today,  straight through Saturday! This means daily temperatures will soar into the lower to mid 90’s nearly every day. In fact, temperatures could peak on Thursday into the upper 90’s. All along, expect oppressive levels of humidity to continue, perhaps worsening a bit for the second half of the week.

The only relief I see, is possibly a very week and feeble seabreeze at times along the immediate coast. Folks, I am talking right at the beaches here, where temperatures may be 5 to 7 degrees cooler. Areas such as Needham, Newton, Dedham, Norwood, even the western parts of the city of Boston will have no such cooling.

Starting Wednesday, the steering currents will strengthen a bit from the west and push the heat right to the beaches, broiling everyone! You can also expect expect very warm and stuffy nights, with lows dropping into only to the low 70’s in urban areas, and mid 60’s in rural areas.

With heat like this, there is always a chance of a pop up thunderstorm each afternoon. However, it won’t be until Saturday when a strong cold front pushes into the area when we see the potential of strong to perhaps severe weather affect our area. Severe weather means the potential exists for vivid lightning, hail, downbursts, of wind (microbursts) and even tornadoes, please follow local meteorologists or the National Weather Service later in the week.  After a very hot day on Saturday, expect cooler and drier weather for Sunday, with highs in the lower 80’s!

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will be talking about how the weather has been around the rest of the country so far this summer. I will also have another tropical update, as well as your weekly summer vacation forecast. In the meantime, if you don’t have an air condtioner by now, it’s not too late! I still have some in stock for those who can’t take the heat anymore! Otherwise, you’ll be lookin’ to get cookin’!

*Just as a reminder, please check on elderly folks and pets during this heat wave. Making sure everyone is well hydrated and cool. Thanks!

Pete

Less hot…for now! 7/8/13

Good morning to all! I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. All in all, the weather could not have been more summer like. We are coming off a 5 day heat wave across that began last Wednesday, and concluded yesterday. This was already our second heat wave of the summer in Boston, and we are well on our way to a hotter than normal summer this year.

I was lucky enough to be down Cape Cod for the first part of the holiday weekend. Despite some area of fog, it was a very nice to escape the brunt of the intense heat up in Boston. While temperatures soared into the mid 90’s in Boston, it was 10 degrees cooler on the Cape…no wonder so many people love to escape to the Cape during the summer! For the second part of the weekend, I headed north to visit good friends up in southern Maine. Temperatures were hot even here, but a quick trip to the seaside offered a welcome break to the heat. Later, a brief but heavy thunderstorm rolled through the area, temporarily cooling things off.

Looking at this mornings weather charts, there are some interesting observations I would like to share. Last week, I knew we were in for a heat wave. The question was for just how long it was going to last for. At first glance, it looked like the heat wave was going to continue well into this week, perhaps challenging the all time record of 9 straight days of 90 plus degree weather. However, some subtle changes in the pattern has resulted in a slightly less hot weather coming up for this week. As is typical for us here in New England, any particular pattern usually does not last for long. With the Atlantic Ocean to our east, and Canada to our north and west, change in the weather can happen unexpectedly and with short notice.

With all this being said, this appears to be a temporary break in otherwise a hot pattern. Basically, the summer pattern has settled in, and as advertised, it looks like a hot & wet one for us here in New England. For the rest of July, look for oscillating periods of showers and thunderstorms, punctuated with periods of hot & humid weather. The main driver in our weather pattern this summer is going to be the Bermuda High that I have talked about in previous blogs. Last week, this high retrograded back into New England, bringing the hot weather with it. This week, the high will weaken somewhat, allowing slightly cooler weather to filter back into New England, along with the increasing threat of showers. Next week, we repeat the whole process over again, with hot weather pushing back into our region.

As we move towards the middle of July, you would expect an increase in tropical activity. Right on cue, we have a new tropical storm to follow. Tropical storm Chantal has formed in the Caribbean, and is racing towards the west. At this point, it does not appear as if Chantal will intensify into a hurricane. However, it does show good structure, and will cause problems in its own right with gusty winds and heavy rains. It also shows us to be on guard for us here in New England. As a storm developing in this area later in the season could easily make the turn up the coast and hit New England. This is what I am expecting to occur later this summer here in New England. I will surely keep you updated as we move later in the summer.

Now for your weekly outdoor summer activity forecast. I would rate this week a 6 out of 10. Watch for somewhat cooler weather this week. It will turn cooler along the coast today, as a back door cool front moves in from the ocean. Temperatures will be falling through the 80’s, even into the 70’s later today. In addition, you can expect some scattered showers and thunderstorms around the area. These showers may linger into this evening, not everyone will get wet, but if you get caught in one of these downpours, you may get soaked.

Expect a dryer day for tomorrow, with temperatures mainly in the 70’s! From the period of Wednesday through Friday, expect unsettled weather to dominate. It will also be more humid, with temperatures mainly in the 80’s. In addition, you can expect periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms. By Saturday, drier weather may begin to push into the area, with highs in the low 80’s. If we are lucky, it should turn sunny and warmer for Sunday, with in the mid to upper 80’s. Looking further ahead, we may get back into heat wave conditions by next week.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will be talking about just how hot we can expect it to get once again. I will also have a new tropical update, as the tropics begin to come alive. In the meantime, keep the heat wave artillery handy! You will need it all again come next week!

Pete

Building heat wave…7/1/13

Good morning, and welcome to July! Typically, July is the hottest month of the year. And from what I’m seeing on the weather charts this morning, this year will be no exception. Last week, I talked about the potential for flooding rains striking the area. As it was, June ended up as the 3rd wettest June on record here in Boston. Had the heavy rains forecasted come to fruition, we may have ended up in second, or possibly even eclipsing the number one spot, which still stands from back in June, of 1982.

It’s not like it didn’t rain. Folks who were down the Cape and the south shore reported torrential downpours at times. Also, northern and western New England has been receiving heavy amounts of rain. If you lived in the Boston area, you enjoyed quite a nice weekend, with sunshine and a bit of a tropical feel to the air. This unusual pattern is not quite done with us yet. More flooding rains are on the way for northern and especially western New England coming up in the next couple of days.

With the first month of the summer in the books, how did it turn out weatherwise? Well, I believe this month will be remembered for the excessive rainfall we had in the area. However, the month also was a bit unusual as it began with a fairly intense heat wave, and also ended with one towards the end!  Sandwiched in between was some 10 to 13″ of rain across the area! With the bookends heat waves, the month ended up some 2 degrees above the average. So in summation, you could say it was a warm and wet month. Looking back at how I did, I was not expecting that much rainfall to occur. However, in keeping with the theme of the summer, it did turn out about as warm as I thought it would be.

So what can we expect for this July? As I mentioned earlier, July is the warmest month of the year. This is the month when Boston’s average temperature reaches its highest levels. Basically, the warmest period typically occurs between July 10th and August 15th. Thereafter, we begin the slow descent to autumn, and then winter. You can compare this time of the year similarly with the coldest period of the winter, which typically occurs between January 10th and February 15th. With the pending hot weather on the way, I do believe this July, as like the past several, will end up being hotter than normal.

When patterns set up like this, you can expect it to be even hotter than what we are used to. It’s not like it will be a warmer than normal March…that would be just fine for many folks. When hotter than normal temperatures are forecasted for July, watch out! Because it’s the warmest month of the year anyway, you can expect it to be unbearable at times!

Normally, we receive about 4 days of 90 degree temperatures in July. This year, I am expecting double, or possibly even close to three times that number! With it being a more tropical heat, I am also expecting more rain than normal, but not as wet as June was. We average about 3″ of rain during July, so you can expect at least that, and then some. Most of this rain will fall in the form of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, offering temporary relief from the heat.

As is normally the case, no two seasons are alike here in New England. In winter, our cold waves come from various sources. The coldest weather of course comes from the north. However, sometimes cold waves can come from west to east. These type of cold waves typically don’t bring us our coldest temperatures. Occasionally, cold weather can come from the maritimes, which sometimes can feel colder, because of the dampness that comes along with it.

The same holds true in the summer. Some years, our hot weather actually comes from Canada! Many times, this arrives as a dry heat, as it downslopes off of the mountains to the coastal plain. When this occurs, we can get some really hot temperatures on the thermometer, but not feel as hot as the dew points temperatures (amount of water droplets in the air) are fairly low. 

Other years, such as this year, heat waves arrive via the Bermuda High. When this happens, we usually are in for oppressive heat, along with tropical dew points to boot. These are our most uncomfortable type of heat waves. Later this week, the Bermuda High is going to strengthen, building westward into New England. You can expect hot muggy weather to arrive by July 4th this week, then continue for the foreseeable future thereafeter! I must say, our muggiest weather usually doesn’t arrive until August around here, so it looks it may only get worse as we move deeper into summer.

Before I get to the forecast, I did want to extend my thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the 19  firefighters who suddenly lost their lives battling an out of control wildfire in Arizona this past weekend. Folks, when talking about heat and dry conditions, this is about as bad as it gets. With temperatures in the 120’s, yes, you read that correct, and dewpoints practically non existant, it doesn’t take much to ignite a wildfire. I can only imagine how quickly the fire overtook the firefighters…they didn’t stand a chance. Hopefully, the persistant high pressure ridge will shift soon, allowing some monsoonal rains to moisten up the area. This change still may not happen for another week or two.

Now for your 4th of July holiday forecast! I will rate this week an 8 out of 10, weighted heavily for the prospects of hot and sunny weather from the fourth straight on through next weekend. Expect muggy conditions for the rest of your Monday, with highs near 80. If you live in Boston, you may experience a downpour or two sometime later this afternoon. Further to the north and west, tropical downpours may lead to flooding. I am talking west of Worcester, and north of Manchester, N.H. here. If you are getting heavy rains, expect this to diminish somewhat overnight. Everywhere else, expect some low clouds and some fog to develop, with lows mainly in the 60’s. 

Expect similar weather tomorrow, and then again on Wednesday. By Wednesday, you can expect more sun, and warmer temperatures, with highs in the mid 80’s. Although less of a chance, there still is a chance of a tropical thunderstorm in the afternoon.

When we get to the 4th itself, you can expect hot weather to begin to build, with mainly sunny weather and only about a 20% chance of a scattered afternoon airmass type of thundershower. That means that 80% of us won’t see any rain! If you live in western New England, this chance increases to 40%. It will begin to get hot, with many areas approaching 90 degrees. Enjoy the fireworks! 

Thereafter, from the period Friday through Sunday, it will be full fledged summertime weather around here. You can expect mainly sunny, hot & muggy weather, with temperatures manly in the lower 90’s across the area. If you are going down the Cape, you can deduct about 10 degrees, but you will be battling some areas of low clouds and fog. This should burn off by midday, but I see no rain in the forcast. Looking further out, the hot weather should continue into the beginning of next week as well.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will look into just how hot it may get here in July this year. I will also have a tropical update, and why I am so concerned about a tropical system striking New England this year. I will also have an updated vacation forecast, for those fortunate enough to be on vacation next week! In the meantime, depending on where you live, you may need an ark to start off the week, then you will need that same ark to bring you straight to the beach later!

Have a safe & happy 4th of July everyone!

~~~~~Happy birthday to my mom today!~~~~~

Pete

Volatile weather patterns…6/24/13

I hope many of you were able to get out and enjoy the summery weekend! I was able to get away and visit my good friend down at my favorite beach in the Boston area, Nantasket Beach! With a strong west wind, this drove the heat right to the beaches, with many areas soaring into the low 90’s. If you were brave enough, you could of taken a dip into the ocean. However, with the strong west wind, this pushed away any warmer water that collected along the shore out to sea. When this happens, a term called upwelling occurs. This cold water goes under the warm water, then ends up close to the shore where we go swimming. Ocean temperatures hovered in the low 60’s yesterday. I also had the opportunity to witness the “Super Moon,” or full “Strawberry Moon,” rise in the eastern sky! What a view rising up over the ocean!

Looking back at my records, I did say another heat wave would occur towards the end of June. What I didn’t say was that we were going to receive over 9″ of rain in between  heat waves! We are now in the midst of our second heat wave here in New England, and we’re still only in the month of June! I pointed out that we were possibly in for a hot summer this year. What I didn’t plan on was the torrential rains that have soaked much of New England.

Looking ahead, I now expect these episodes of heavy rainfall to continue for much of the summer. I am also expecting a high probability of a hurricane striking New England later on in the summer. You can already see the seeds being planted for this event to happen. These downours have origins from the tropics. This tropical funnel  is being set up from the Bermuda High to our southeast, and a unusually deep trough of low pressure to our west. The combination of these two, has occasionally set up a channel from the deep tropics straight up through New Engalnd, resulting in well above average rainfall.

For this reason, I believe the overall summer pattern will be highly variable. At times, the Bermuda High will strengthen, and expand westward. This will pump hot, humid weather up into New England. Other times, the deep trough in the middle of the country will break down this ridge. When this clash occurs along the east coast, numerous showers and thunderstorms will drench our region. Later in the season, when the oceans begin to reach their warmest levels, hurricanes will begin to form, and follow this flow straight up into New England. 

In the short term, we are in our second day of possibly a 4 day heat wave with temperatures 90 degrees+ across much of the Boston area. In fact, many spots may reach the mid 90’s later today! Later in the week, the ridge will begin to break down, allowing the influence of cooler air to penetrate New England. When this happens, we can expect another barrage of heavy downpours and thunderstorms. Once this pattern settles in, I expect it to last possibly through much of next week. In case you weren’t paying attention, next week is the 4th of July! Only one of our biggest holiday’s here in the states! Certainly one of my favorites!

So this leads me to the title of today’s blog. We are in a volatile pattern. We’re talking heat wave conditions this week, followed by possibly flooding rains heading into next week. It’s still more than a week away, so things may change. Looking at the latest computer range models, there are two camps of thoughts. The U.S. generated GFS model, has a surge of heavy rain coming into New England, on the 4th itself. The European model, has a bit more optimistic solution. This model is also one of our more reliable model, and has a higher resolution of precipitation patterns. This model shows the Bermuda High expanding westward again, saving our day with mostly dry and a very warm day shaping up. Like I said, it’s still a ways off, and I will have another important forecast for you next Monday…so stay tuned!

Now for your weekly outdoor activity summer forecast. I will rate this week a 7 out of 10. From today through Wednesday, expect hazy hot & humid weather…also known as triple h weather here in New England. Highs will be 90 to 95 for today and tomorrow, and close to 90 on Wednesday. With this type of heat and humidity, afternoon and evening thunderstorms are possible across much of the region, especially this evening. If you have outdoor plans, expect delays and cancellations. Any of these storms could reach severe levels, especially tonight, and then again possibly on Wednesday. Night times will be stuffy and warm, with lows in the mid 60’s and low 70’s.

Watch for a cool front to ooze through the area Wednesday night, with more showers and thunderstorms. Thursday through Saturday will be cooler, but not necessarily drier. Muggy weather may continue in New England for the foreseeable future. In addition, there will numerous showers and thunderstorms through the period. It’s difficult to pin point when these showers will occur, but a general rule of thumb would be in the afternoon, during the maximum heating of the day. If I had to pick a washout, it may be on Friday. Expect highs to mainly be in the low to middle 80’s. If we are lucky, the weather may clear for a time and we may salvage a nice day on Sunday. Enjoy that, because the rain may return with a vengeance to start next week.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will have your official 4th of July forecast, rain or shine! I will also keep everyone updated on any severe weather or flooding that may occur in the upcoming pattern. If warranted, I will have a tropical update. In the meantime, be prepared for the elements this week. This includes everything from beach attire, to air conitioning, a good sump pump, and a rain coat…sounds volatile to me!

*****GO BRUINS!!!*****

Pete

Closing in on summer…6/17/13

Hope everyone had a great Father’s Day! Despite the cloudy afternoon, the rain stayed away, allowing dry weather for evening cookouts and relaxing with friends and family on decks and porches across the region. This was a welcome break from what we have been through. If you thought that this June has been wetter than normal, you are correct! In fact, as of today, this ranks as the 6th wettest June on record for Boston, with over 8″ falling so far! Yes, this has been a surprise to me. After the heat wave which greeted us at the beginning of the month, the pattern abruptly changed to it being rainy and cold. Although short term forecasting has improved tremendously over the years, this shows you that long term forecasts still need improvement. Basically no long range computer models showed a much wetter than normal June was on the way.

After a couple years of stable, warmer than normal patterns, things have changed. Beginning this past winter, weather patterns across the globe have become more volatile. Does this mean we are in for a stormy, wet summer ahead? As my summer forecast stated a couple weeks ago, I don’t think so. I still believe we are in for a warmer than normal summer, despite some rapidly changing conditions. The bottom line, it’s just not as warm  across the United States as the past several years. However, the warmth that is available, I believe will be squeezed north up the atlantic seaboard into New England. This will result in bouts of hot and increasingly muggy weather for us here in the northeast from now through September.

I have heard a couple people grumbling about the cold rainy weather. And for good reason. It has been miserable the past couple weeks. However, I did want to point out that technically, we are still in spring. Come the end of this week, Friday to be exact, the summer solstice arrives. And with that comes the longest day of the year, and the official start of summer! If you ask my sister Pam about this day, she would say that this is not the best of days. According to her theory, since this is the longest day of the year, it’s all down hill from here towards the depths of winter.

Technically, she’s right! After June 21 st, the days will begin to get shorter. Just by a fraction at first, then it begins to exelerate as we head towards September.  To make her feel better about this situation, I tell her that the warmest weather of the summer still lies ahead of us. Which also, is technically correct! This is because of a phenominon which I talk about quite a bit called latent heating. Despite June 21 st being the longest day of the year, the average warmest temperatures do not usually occur until July and August here in New England. This has alot to do with the ocean temperatures. Because the oceans take longer to heat up than the land masses, the warmest weather doesn’t arrive here until later in the summer! This year looks no different, as I do see warmer weather arriving for an extended period of time starting as early as this Friday, the first day of summer!

Along with the warmer weather and warmer ocean temperatures, comes the increasing threat of tropical storms and hurricanes. Like the blizzard forecasted last winter for last February, I am not shy about forecasting the greater than normal chance about a hurricane hitting New England later on this summer.  This summer, we are in a higher than normal zone for a landfalling tropical storm striking us. This is partly due to the way upper level steering currents will be aligned later in the summer. With a large Bermuda high pressure area to the north, and a trough of low pressure in the Ohio Valley, this will set up a channel, or southerly flow straight up into New England. We are also in a warmer than normal phase of ocean temperatures in the Atlantic. At this point, I would say we have about a 75% chance of this happening…so stay tuned!

Right now, I am happy to report there are no immediate threats for tropical storms striking New England. This is no surprise, as June typically is not a very active month for hurricanes. As the season matures,  ocean temperatures warm,  upper level winds begin to relax, and storms will begin to form. As tropical storms form,  they begin to intensify while  heading westward towards the U.S. east coast and Florida.

Now for your weekly summer outdoor activity forecast. Last week, the weather was highly over rated. If it wasn’t pouring, it was just cloudy and cold. It wasn’t until Saturday before we finally broke out into sunny weather. I will go with another 7 out of 10 for this week. Expect a mainly sunny afternoon for the rest of your Monday. Later on, there may be a few scattered thunderstorms rolling through the area, I don’t expect anything severe, however there may be a few delays in some outdoor activities. It will be a warm afternoon, with highs in the low to even middle 80’s. Any showers will diminish overnight, with clearing later, lows will mainly be in the 50’s.

Watch for another warm day on Tuesday, with partly sunny skies and highs in the 80’s once again. Watch the sky later in the day, as there will be a better chance of  afternoon thunderstorms. Some of these storms may contain torrential downpours, frequent lightning, and gusty winds. After evening storms, skies will remain mostly cloudy Tuesday night, with areas of fog. Lows will mainly be in the 60’s.  

Wednesday may start with clouds, but watch for skies to clear during the day. It will be a bit cooler and dryer, with highs in the 70’s. Fair weather will continue into Wednesday night with lows mainly in the 50’s. Thursday promises to be a fine day, with sunny skies and highs once again in the 70’s. Watch for warmer weather for the first day of summer, with partly sunny skies and highs in the lower 80’s.

Right now, the weekend looks decent. I don’t see a washout, but a warm front will be trying to push through New England. This will mean we should have warm temperatures, with highs mainly in the 80’s. There will be some sunshine,  but there will also be quite a bit of cloudiness at times, as well as the chance of a shower or thunderstorm at any time during the weekend, mostly late afternoon.  Hopefully skies will clear enough for us to view the full “Strawberry Moon” on Sunday night!

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will be talking about just how hot it may get during the last week of June. I also will take a long range first glance look at what the weather patterns are looking like for the 4th of July week! I’ll also be keeping my eye on the tropics just in case. In the meantime, with summer closing in, be prepared for hot temperatures, afternoon thunderstorms, muggy weather, mosquitos…in other words, typical summer weather!

((((GO BRUINS!!))))

Pete

More heavy rain! 6/10/13

As if the 2 to 4″ of soaking rains we received last Friday was not enough, it appears we have another 1 to 3″ on the way for tonight! People tend to quickly forget how much rain falls during the weekdays, as long as it doesn’t rain over the weekend! When compiling my summer forecast, long range computer models did not have a wet signal over the summer for New England. I’m not panicking just yet, as we are still 10 days away from the summer solstice. However, with that being said, I would not be telling the entire truth if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about my summer forecast.

After such a scorching start to the summer season, Mother Nature has abruptly turned the tables on the weather pattern. The heat that blasted into New England last weekend, has now retrograted back to the western part of the country. Consequently, a trough develops in the east, bringing cooler, wetter weather to our region. This does not mean it’s going to be rainy and cold all the time. This past weekend was a good example of this. After the flooding rains of Thursday night and Friday, things cleared up and turned warmer for a beautiful Sunday.

Looking ahead for the remainder of June, I see a similar pattern continuing. This means highly changeable weather is on the way for at least the next two weeks. This includes periods of heavy rain and cool weather. However, all is not all doom and gloom. There a couple things happening this time of year. First, the sun is increasing in strength. This means when the sun does come out, temperatures will warm up quickly. So I still expect some stretches of very warm to hot weather, especially towards the end of the month. Overall, I believe it will end up being a warmer and wetter than normal month. With the higher sun angle and all of this rain, you will almost be able to see the grass grow before your eyes! One good thing about all of this rain, the talk of drought has virtually been eliminated for much of southern New England.

With the nice weather yesterday, I took a short trip and visited Castle Island in South Boston. If you live in Boston, and havn’t been for a few years, I would highly recommend taking a ride over some day. When I was a kid, I remember my dad taking me over to “City Point” as they called it, to go fishing or to just get a breathe of ocean air. Unfortunately, back then, the water was polluted with broken glass and sludge, and the fish were not healthy.

Boy, have things changed! With the multi-billion dollar harbor clean up in recent years, I can honestly say that I believe Boston Harbor is one of the cleanest harbors in the country! Today, the harbor is clean, the fish are back in record numbers, and people can once again go for a swim at the local beaches! Just looking down under bridges, you can see how healthy the algea is, and all of the mussels and other organisms are vibrant and alive. In addition, what once was sludge, is now sandy shores, with a mix of shellfish and gravel. It’s a fantastic place where city life mixes with the forces of Mother Nature with everyone respecting their boundaries. I only wish my father was with me yesterday to see just how beautiful it has become!

Now for your weekly outdoor activity summer forecast. I will rate this week a 7 out of 10, weighted heavily on the prospects of nice weather coming for next weekend! Watch for clouds to be lowering and thickening for the rest of your Monday. Temperatures will be mild, but not warm, with highs in the very low 70’s. Later, towards sunset, expect showers to start pressing into the area. Overnight, watch for rain, with batches of heavy downpours moving through, with possibly a few rumbles of thunder. Look for between 1 and 3″ of rain to fall across the area overnight. This will be enough rain to cause urban flooding, and possibly bring some water into basements, and small stream flooding.

Tuesday will feature some lingering early morning showers. Again, watch for some ponding on the roadways from overnight rains. It will become more muggy, as some sunny breaks develop during the day. If the sun does come out, watch for the possibilty of a heavy thunderstorm sometime during the late afternoon. It will feel more muggy, with highs jumping into the mid 70’s. Later in the evening, things should settle down, with clearing skies and lows in the 50’s.

Look for mainly dry weather on the way for Wednesday and Thursday, with highs mainly in the mid 70’s, and lows in the 50’s. There will be a muggy feel to the air on both days.  Later Thursday, there may be another system moving just south of New England. Right now, it looks like we may just get grazed with this storm, with just a chance of a few showers Thursday night.

Friday looks like a decent day for Flag Day, with clearing skies and highs mainly in the mid 70’s again. There may be a another chance of some showers later Friday night into early Saturday as a cold front swings through. After that, the rest of the weekend looks to be mainly sunny and warmer. Watch for your Father’s Day to feature mostly sunny and warmer weather, with highs in the lower 80’s. It looks like a fine day to have a cookout, go to the beach, or just spend time with your dad.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will have your latest beach and boating forecast for the first few days of summer! I will also have a tropical update to see if there is anything cooking in the tropics. In the meantime, keep those lawn mowers handy, you will need them come this weekend. But not on Sunday! That day is meant to spend time with family and relaxing!  ~~~Happy Father’s Day to all!~~~    &    ***Go Bruins!***   &   ~~~Happy Birthday to my sister Pam!!~~~

Pete

Cooler, unsettled pattern…6/3/13

As forecasted, the first heat wave blasted into New England over the weekend, sending people to the beach for the first time, ice cream shops, and driving up air conditioner sales for folks looking for quick relief. In typical fashion, customers coming into my store were a bit more savvy than your average impulse buyer. Many were asking me when I thought the heat wave would break, possibly avoiding a unecessary purchase. This is possibly a case when posting a blog about New England weather may hurt sales in the store! Lucky for me, I know better. Yes, I knew the heat wave will be ending today. However, I told these customers that it’s still very early  in the season. If you don’t buy your air conditioner now, you may not see one a bit later in the season. After all, we are still close to three weeks away from the official beginning of summer.

Yesterday, I attended the 20th annual Corrib 5K Road Race in West Roxbury, Mass. With temperatures hovering around 90, you would think many people would of passed on the event. However, this was not the case at all! Thousands of people turned out for what has a turned into a summer tradition!  Along with the run, the road race has become a fun family event, with many friends conjugating to enjoy a summer afternoon for a good cause.

You can’t go to the road race without stopping by Nona’s homemade ice cream truck. By far, this would be the best ice cream you have ever had. Along with the truck, Nona’s has store locations in Scituate, and Hingham, Ma. If you are ever driving through the south shore, stop by one of there locations and have some delicious homemade ice cream!

It’s important to note that the majority of the proceeds from this event goes to charitable organizations around the area. All in all, it was a great day to be had by all!

While hanging out with friends, many asked me if this hot weather is going to persist this summer. My answer to this, was that this was basically a warning shot for the upcoming summer. Starting this week, the strong ridge of high pressure, supplying us with all of the hot weather, will begin to get beaten down by troughs digging into the northeast. This will have several consequences for our weather. One, it will squash the heat to our south. Two, it will bring cooler, unsetteld weather back to our region. While a trough develops here in the east, the ridge will develop in the western part of the country, bringing torrid hot & dry weather to that part of the country.

These bubbles of heat, and pools of cooler weather, will need to be monitored carefully over the next several weeks. While I believe there will be an area of hot weather in the southwest this summer, I also believe another area will be along the east coast up into New England as well. This should start to show up once the summer solstice arrives by June 21st.

I’m expecting a cooler stretch of weather over the next couple of weeks. Along with the cooler weather, it may become quite wet at times, leading many to believe that the summer heat is gone. I don’t believe this will be the case. Towards the end of June, I believe our second heat wave of the season will herald in a hotter than normal summer. Remember, it’s still early. According to Mother Nature, where still in the spring season!

As the summer season matures, so does the threat of hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1st, and like years past, an active season appears to be on the table once again. When talking hurricanes, it’s all about ocean temperatures, and upper level jet stream winds. If the El Nino doesn’t develop, and high pressure zones set up in the right position in the Atlantic, things could get cooking in a big way.

NOAA is forecasting an active season, with at least 3  major hurricanes forming. Accuweather.com & WeatherBell Analytics is also forecasting an active season, with the main axis of concern along the east coast, right up through New England. With ocean temperatures warmer than normal in the Atlantic, I fully agree with these forecasts. In fact, I believe New England may be under the gun for a landfalling hurricane later on this summer. If this happens, it would be the first hurricane since Bob hit the Cape back in 1991. If a hurricane threatens us, I will be alerting you many days in advance…so stay tuned!

Now for your outdoor weekly beach, camping and hiking forecast. I am rating this week a 6 out of 10. I am expecting three days of rainy weather this week. Watch for muggy weather to persist this afternoon. In addition, there will be more showers and perhaps a thunderstorm. By later today, the rain should move off the coast, and we may see the sun before it sets. Highs today will mainly be in the mid 70’s. Look for clearing, cooler and drier weather to slowly push into the region tonight. Lows will drop into the 50’s. Expect partly sunny weather for tomorrow through Thursday. Dewpoint temperatures will be in the dry zone. Actual temperatures will be fairly seasonable, with highs mainly in the mid 70’s, and lows in the 40’s and 50’s. This will make for great sleeping weather!

Later on Thursday, look for clouds to increase, blotting out the sun at sunset. We may get through the evening without any rain on Thursday, but later in the evening, some showers may approach the area. Look for frequent showers on Friday, with highs in the 60’s.

Looking ahead, Saturday looks like a washout at this time.  You may even call it a mini nor’easter type of a storm, with northeast winds, and chilly temperatures. Highs will only in the 50’s! What a difference a week will make! If things work out, this storm should move north of our latitude by Sunday, leaving us with a sunnier, drier & warmer day, with highs back in the mid 70’s once again.

Well that’s about it for now! In next week’s blog, I will study the weather charts to let you know when any hot weather will show up again. I will also have my first tropical update, as we need to be on extra cuatious this year here in New England. In the meantime, time to give the air conditioners a rest. If my forecast is correct, they will thank you come later in the summer!

***Go Bruins!!***

Pete

Summer forecast: Hot! 5/27/13

Happy Memorial Day to all! Many of us know that Memorial Day marks the unoffocial beginning of summer. However, the real meaning of Memorial Day should never be overlooked. At this time, I would like to give thanks to the men and woman who put their lives on the line to protect our country. This includes everyone from our military, to our fire fighters, and law enforcement departments. Without these people keeping order in today’s society, our lives would be alot different. I would also like to remember all of the veteran’s who served our country to give us the freedom that we enjoy today! Yes, we have to work hard, and we don’t get enough vacation time. But as far as freedom and opportunity goes, there is no better country in the world!

As for the weather, this has been one Memorial Day weekend that many will never forget. Some years, New England has to deal with severe weather and the threat of tornadoes. This year, it was the rain, wind, cold and snow! Yes, as forecasted, a late season winter like storm brought unseasonably cold weather, wind, rain and even heavy snow to elevated areas of New England and upstate New York. In fact, one mountain location in upstate New York recorded 34″ of heavy wet snow! In New England, many ski resorts accumulated between 2 and 16″! Even some lower elevations received coatings of wet snow! Although unusual, there have been other heavy snowfalls recorded in the past during the month of May. However, storms like this happening on Memorial Day weekend is highly anomalous.

This morning, I am happy to report that the storm has lifted north into the Canadian Maritimes, leaving us with a beautiful day for Memorial Day itself. With the strong May sun, temperatures will be rebounding back into the lower 70’s this afternoon. After the cold weekend, this will feel very nice for many folks!

About this time of year, I like to give my best shot at forecasting the upcoming season. I give my winter forecast around Thanksgiving time, and my summer forecast around Memorial Day. So enough small talk, it’s time for your summer 2013 forecast!

Believe it or not, summer can be a bit more challenging to forecast than the winter! This is the time when weather patterns relax in the atmosphere. Steering currents and jet streams retreat north, leaving much of our country with unpredictable, weak steering currents. In addition, there are not as many clues from Mother Nature as there are before winter.

Many forecasters use current and past trends to forecast the upcoming summer. They look at persistant areas of high pressure, how dry or moist  soils are, and what the current ocean temperatures are. My research for summer forecast is similar. I also review alot of data from sources such as NOAA,  Accuweather and WeatherBell Analytics. Having these resources at my disposal, with some of the best meteorologists in the world, is invaluable!

So after putting all of this together, I came up with my best forecast possible. As you know, New England, unlike other parts of the country, has a very fickle climate. Last year, it was clear  we were going to have a warmer than normal summer. We were riding a warmer than normal temperature trend with no end in sight. We were also in a very stable La Nina pattern, with colder than normal ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This lead to a blistering summer for many parts of the country, including New England at times.

This year, the signal is a bit different. Ocean temperatures have warmed a bit in the Pacific, diminishing the strong La Nina. In fact, some computer models have been hinting at a weak El Nino developing. In addition, it has been a wetter year across much of the country, this tempers the feedback of dry soils and very hot temperatures developing.  So far, temperatures have been averaging near normal here in New England this spring. To some, it may have seemed cold. But when you look back and average it all together, it came out close to normal. Remember, it’s the extremes that make the average.

So what do I think about this summer? I believe we will still be under the influence of a La Nina type pattern through this summer. This means, cooler in the northwest part of the continent, like the Pacific northwest and Alaska, and warmer in the southeast part of the U.S. Long range computer models are showing cooler than normal weather this summer for areas of the midwest & Ohio River valley.

New England is caught in between, tilting towards warmer than average weather surging into New England from the south.  Overall, I believe we are going to have another warmer than normal summer on the way this year. There was some fear that the summer was going to be cool & wet. I don’t see this type of pattern for us this year. I believe we are in similar patterns that we had back in the 50’s and 60’s, where hot & dry summers were the rule.

When talking summer, many people want to know how many 90 degree days are we going to have, and how many heat waves? Typically, Boston’s Logan airport averages about 14 days with 90 degree heat for the period of May through September. This can be very tricky here in Boston. Many years, because of the cold ocean temperatures, Logan airport can lag behind 90 degree temperatures, while 20 miles inland, it soars into the 90’s twice as much.

This summer is particularly tricky. Overall, temperatures have been up and down, being especially cold this weekend. However, this is not the trend for the summer. There is going to be a surge of hot weather surging into New England starting on Thursday and lasting for a few days. This is very important, as it shows me a sudden shift in the pattern, allowing the hot weather to make its presence here in New England. I also look for sudden shifts in the pattern around the summer solstice to give me some clues.

With all this being said, and not to get to technical, I am expecting a warmer than normal summer around here this year extending well into September. You can expect between 15 and 20 days of temperatures 90 degrees or higher. To get an official heat wave, you need 3 consecutive days of 90 degree plus. I believe we will have 3 to 5 heat waves this summer. As the season matures, cold fronts will have a hard time penetrating into New England, so I can envision a dryer than normal summer for many. We will get some relief from time to time with showers and thunderstorms, but these will be localized and not widespread.

Along with summertime, the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1st. This year, hurricane experts are once again forcasting an above normal amounts of hurricanes. Like last year, the east coast is once again a prime target for a possible landfalling hurricane. As mentioned earlier, ocean temperatures are warmer than normal in the Atlantic. This is the same temperature profile as it was in the 50’s. Consequently, New England had several damaging hurricanes hit during this decade. I am expecting a hurricane to once again threaten New England later in the summer. I will talk more about hurricanes in my blog next week.

Now for your weekly outdoor summer forecast. I am rating this week an 8 out of 10. Expect mostly sunny and dry weather for the rest of your Memorial Day. With the help of May sunshine, look for temperatures to warm up into the low 70’s most places. This evening will feature fine weather for outdoor grilling and spending time with family. It will cool off later, with lows mainly in the 40’s.

After morning sun, watch for building clouds for Tuesday afternoon. There may be some showers later in the day and into the night. These showers, and possibly some thunder may continue into the first half of Wednesday as a warm front pushes through the area. Right now, I am not expecting a washout, but be prepared for some delays. With a sea breeze, look for temperatures to be mainly in the 60’s and low 70’s tomorrow. Temperatures will warm into the mid to upper 70’s on Wednesday afternoon.

Watch for summer time heat to pour into New England starting on Thursday and continuing through next weekend. It will become increasingly muggy, with temperatures rising into the upper 80’s and lower 90’s through the period. In the hot and humid air mass, there is always a chance of a pop up thunderstorm. There may be a better chance of an afternoon thunderstorm on Sunday as a cold front approaches.

Well that’s about it for today! In next week’s blog, I will review the weather we had for May, and preview the weather for June. I will also have a segment on the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. I will also have your beach and boating forecast for the upcoming week. In the meantime, it’s time to shut the furnace off and pull out the air conditioners. As in typical fashion, we  transition suddenly from winter straight into summer!  ***Go Bruins!***

Pete