A Sweltering Week
We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave! If you like it steamy, this week is for you! Yes, indeed. While many places in this region already met the criteria for a heat wave between May 30 and June 2, Boston didn't quite qualify because its high temperatures on those 4 days were 88, 94, 92 and 88 respectively. The city needed 3 consecutive days of 90 or higher. In this hot spell, it will definitely be Boston's first heat wave of the year. Yesterday, it hit 91 degrees at 2:53 pm in Beantown. The projected highs through Wednesday will be 93, 95 and 92. The first two highs are just shy of the records. Today's 95 was set in 1976 and tomorrow's, June 25, 97 was established in 1943. Wednesday's 1952 record of 100 will not be challenged.
The heat will be driven right onto the east-facing beaches with little chance of any cooling sea breeze. A dip in the ocean is the only way that you will be able to beat the heat. The ocean temperatures are in the range of 60 and 65 degrees. The high tides will occur just past 12:30 pm today, just before 1:30 pm tomorrow and just before 2:30 pm Wednesday. More of a southwesterly breeze will cool the elbow of Cape Cod and also its south-facing beaches with temperatures in those locations in the range of 80-85. Nantucket will max out just under 75. The wind will be blowing at 8-18 mph across most of the region. The humidity is high with the dewpoints in the upper 60s. That is resulting in some fog over the islands and over a few other areas on Cape Cod. The deck of low cloudiness over southeastern MA will burn off as will the Cape fog to hazy conditions. While portions of northern New England were clobbered by big boomers yesterday such as Portland's pummeling of about 1.5" of rain in less than an hour, southern New England escaped unscathed. That will happen today as an upper level impulse shifts eastward from eastern OH and western PA. The parameters will be in place for some big rainers mainly late this afternoon into the evening. Most of these thunderstorms will trigger some nasty cloud to ground lightning in the steamy air and release torrents of rain rather than produce damaging winds and large hail. Smaller hail and briefly stronger wind gusts are possible.
With a ridge of high pressure at the surface and aloft becoming stronger to the south of the region, the Bermuda heat pumper is in place to deliver the hottest weather through Wednesday and it may still nudge 90 degrees on Thursday but the muggy weather will be lasting much longer and could linger through next weekend into the first half of next week! OUCH! As an approaching frontal boundary and upper level trough of low pressure attempt to push the well-established Bermuda High out to sea, a squeeze play unfolds over the eastern seaboard and the showery weather will intensify later Wednesday north and west of Boston and become widespread in the region for several days after that. This means the projected added rainfall could boost this month into the second wettest June on record. It is all predicated upon some of the heavy rainfall occurring near the coast. Some of it will but it is entirely possible that the most drenching downpours will follow along a moist conduit setting up farther inland. It bears watching because there are flooding concerns with this pattern! Presently, there are no signs, unfortunately, that any refreshing, dry air is coming to the rescue from Canada until at least after the 4th of July! That is insane!
Todd Gutner post his blog early this evening and I shall return early tomorrow morning.
Good luck in this sweltering weather and make it a great day!
