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Drenching Downpours

Plan on an active weather day across the region as showers and thunderstorms plague us periodically. This whole pattern is getting rather monotonous, tiring and annoying. The daily dose of boomers, the excessive humidity and another impending heat wave have put me in a deep funk. Does anyone else feel the same? Perhaps I should go on vacation to Funk Island, Newfoundland, Canada! I'm just saying it would be so soothing to have a few days of low humidity and bright sunshine with temperatures dropping to 55 at night and rising to 80 by day. Is that too much to ask for? I guess so for the month of July. It's tough to get a blast of refreshing summer polar air here during the hottest month of the year. The big Bermuda high pressure heat pumper is in control most of the time and that feature is going to suck the momentum out of an approaching cold front in eastern NY. The boundary will begin decelerating as it runs into more resistance. I expect frontolysis meaning it will lose its identity and disappear from the weather map in the next 24-36 hours. It may be instrumental in dropping the dewpoints from the current 70-74 range down to the 61-65 range late tonight and tomorrow in areas north and west of Boston. After that, the humidity returns to the high to oppressive levels on Sunday and continues most of next week. UGH!

A Flash Flood Watch is posted through this afternoon by the National Weather Service. The potential exists for some areas to receive tropical drenching downpours capable of producing sudden flooding in poor drainage locations. A quick 1-2+" of rain is not out of the question in places. That will be the most notable feature of this convective activity along with some nasty cloud to ground lightning. There could be some isolated wind events such as a wet microburst but tornadic activity is unlikely. An initial package of showers and storms will blossom northeastward from CT and RI up into the Boston area to northeastern MA this morning. This bundle will gradually shift eastward and offshore later this morning. It may be followed by another spell of showers and storms at some point this afternoon. A lull between the two showery periods could reveal some sunshine again so temperatures may be fluctuating up and down through the day with the highs this afternoon in the middle 80s. The humidity is horrible but there is a reasonable chance that it will temporarily decrease a bit tomorrow with the more sizeable reduction over northwestern New England closer to the high pressure system building across the Great Lakes toward Upstate NY.

As an upper level trough of low pressure closes off into a complete circulation in the next 24 hours, a wave of low pressure may be generated and more wet weather will rotate into at least southern New England tomorrow. Consequently, it will definitely be cooler with highs in the lower to middle 70s with a northeasterly breeze at 10-15 mph. The upper low center will then migrate southwestward toward the Ohio Valley being replaced by a developing upper level high pressure. This means that another heat wave is in the works. In fact, the risk is high that it will break 90 degrees for 3-5 days next week! A 5-day heat wave has already occurred in Boston and the city, on average, receives six 90-degree days for the entire month of July. Unless there is a pattern change during the second half of the month, it will turn out to be the hottest July on record! July 2011 was the second hottest and July 2010 was the 3rd hottest! OMG! This will have an increasing impact on the region. Fortunately, we get some relief tomorrow from the heat and excessive humidity so that we can get rejuvenated for the next onslaught!

Todd Gutner posts his blog early this evening.

Make it a great day!

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