The Heat Is OFF!
BOSTON (CBS) - Last Wednesday, the region received some showers and boomers as an introduction to a spell of hot and humid weather from last Thursday through yesterday.
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Today, we're getting wet as an introduction to a spell of mild and dry weather starting tonight and ending this Thursday afternoon.
While parts of the area had a bona fide heat wave with 3 consecutive days at 90 degrees or higher, Boston did not qualify because it failed to reach 90 last Thursday.
It is guaranteed that there will be no hot weather in New England all of this week. A cold frontal boundary pushing into western New England this morning will gradually shift eastward during the day and pass offshore tonight. Thankfully, there will be NO severe weather today as the front shoves the humid air out to sea. Yesterday's severe weather was nasty across parts of western and northern New England with damaging wind and hail plus dangerous lightning and torrential downpours.
There is little support for this intense activity today but there could be some scattered lightning amidst some of the local downpours. The real drenching rains will not be long-lasting so only temporary street flooding is likely in those poor drainage locations. I am expecting some breaking clouds and resultant sunshine in many areas primarily farther north and west of Boston forcing temperatures to rise up to 74-78 in those areas. The sun-heated air could cook up a few more boomers in spots in eastern MA this afternoon as perhaps another impulse triggers a final round of showers and possible thunderstorms over southeastern MA late this afternoon through mid-evening.
Once this short wave exits, the drier air will finally surge into the coastal plain to Cape Cod overnight and it will become more comfortable for sleeping. Temperatures will drop to near or slightly below 50 farther north and west of Boston with lows in the upper 50s in the city and middle 50ds from Plymouth County to Cape Cod. The next couple of days will be exquisite and perfect for all outside work and most sports activities. The humidity will be very low as temperatures rise up to highs near 75 both days. There will be just a few clouds with a brisk breeze tomorrow and a few more clouds with light wind on Wednesday. After that, an approaching frontal boundary will send in increasing clouds on Thursday with the greatest risk of some showers developing farther northwest of Boston later in the afternoon.
Looking ahead, we'll be watching the Gulf of Mexico as a suspicious zone of weather potentially morphs into a tropical disturbance. Presently, it appears that there is a 20% chance that this disturbance will intensify into a tropical cyclone. Nevertheless, the tropical moisture associated with this system could be captured by an amplifying trough of low pressure deepening southeastward from the upper Mississippi Valley. Consequently, showery rains are destined to become heavier as next Friday unfolds with the risk that tropical downpours will occur Friday night into early Saturday in portions of New England. That scenario is not a high confidence forecast just yet.
Todd Gutner will post his blog early this evening and I shall return early tomorrow morning.
Make it a great day!
You can follow Barry on Twitter at @BarryWBZ.
