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Labor Day Weekend Weather Jackpot

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It's a long weekend. All you want to do is hear the whistle blow, slide down the brontosaurus's tail, and let loose for a while during these waning days of summer. Well reader, you are in luck. Holiday weekends in New England LOVE weather drama - but perhaps Mother Nature is throwing us a bone (football?) in celebration of Tom Brady's victory. Buckle up for some gorgeous 'get outside' kind of weather over the next few days with a little something for everyone.

40s50s

A pair of outstanding sleeping/camping/enjoying nights across New England after this long stretch of warm and muggy nights. Lows in the 40s and 50s are expected. Source: Weatherbell

Today kicks off with a literal breath of fresh air. Lower dewpoints are streaming in on a frisky NE breeze, and the humidity will take a hike through Sunday. Temps will actually stay below average (avg high in Boston this time of year is ~77F), and I give you my official blessing to finally enjoy a fall brew this Friday night. You won't have to force the issue - the thermometer may show some readings in the 40s by daybreak Saturday! Most will be in the 50s, enjoying a comfortable and even crisp night. Our first real preview of fall so far.

2015 Golf Forecast

Saturday may be the standout day of the weekend, with the lowest humidity and coolest temps. Highs will stay in the 70s near the coast, with some low 80s inland. Full sunshine is expected with high pressure sitting right over the top of us. Doesn't get much better than that, folks. A perfect day for charity walks, hiking trips, a walk on the beach, or setting up a campfire in the woods. With all that dry air we'll enjoy another comfortably cool night in the 50s.

2015 Dewpoint Chart(1)

Sunday is a little more for the beach and BBQ crowd. The air will start warming back up, and in response we'll see highs reaching well into the 80s inland. Some sea breezes should still develop along the coast, keeping highs near 80. Once again we'll be treated to dew points in the 50s and fairly light winds for an excellent summer day.

2015 Beaches Forecast

For Labor Day itself - it's going to be one of those days where it's painful to tear yourself away from the beach or lake as the sun goes down. The 'unofficial end of summer' will be 100% summer, with highs likely topping 90 in some inland towns. Humidity will come up a touch, but still remain below any truly humid or oppressive levels. All of this is a big dose of deja vu, as last September started in the same exact fashion. Lots of warmth and dry weather off the bat before cooling down a bit.

2015 Current Buoy Water Temp

In terms of ocean temperatures - this is prime time for a dip. Water responds more slowly than air does to the sun's energy, and so there's a large lag between the hottest time of the year in terms of temps (July, on average) and water (early September, on average). Most everyone is reporting water temps well into the 70s right now, although those readings could take a temporary hit on Friday with stout NE winds leading to some upwelling in Nantucket Sound. Winds may be a little on the light side for sailing on Saturday, but should pick up a bit on Sunday and reach more consistent 6-12 knot speeds or so on Monday (from the southwest).

CBS_OUTLOOK(2)

We'll have started Meteorological Fall and moved past the unofficial end of summer by Tuesday, but it doesn't mean the warm air is taking a break. Indications are for this big ridge in the jet stream to hang tough well into next week with more 80s and 90s through Thursday. Anyone who planned a September vacation near the coast is definitely lucking out big time. If you're not digging all this heat, it appears the middle of the month could bring somewhat of a cool down from these well above average temps. For those who are wondering if this heat is record breaking, here's a list of record highs for Boston Monday through Thursday of next week. It can still get plenty hot in September! Our best chance of tying or setting a new record would be on Wednesday.

Monday -      102F    set in 1881

Tuesday -        95F    set in 1872

Wednesday -  91F    set in 1971

Thursday -     95F     set in 1931

2015 Drought Monitor(2)

The dry and beautiful weather is great for holiday weekend plans, but one thing we're all noticing more of is the extremely dry conditions returning. After a good rain in mid-August, there hasn't been much to soak the ground. The latest drought monitor has brought back the 'abnormally dry' category for much of the area, with moderate drought in southeast New Hampshire and the CT/RI coast. In those moderate drought years, year-to-date departures from average rainfall are now >10". Unfortunately I don't have much good news to deliver on this front. Our next chance for a few showers/storms looks to arrive late Wednesday or Thursday of next week, and it doesn't look like a soaking rain. Brown and yellow hues are the colors you're most likely to see here in September as the landscape burns out during this hot and dry stretch. Hopefully we can manage a soaker sometime in the middle/second half of the month, but I'm afraid it may end up being a little too late for a vibrant foliage show. We'll keep tabs on it, but it's not an ideal setup to bring on the best of those leafy fireworks.

 

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