Shaking the Storm

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Maybe it's because I've been buried in the weather maps, but it seems like we haven't seen the sun in ages. (In reality it's been just a day...it was out yesterday.)

This stormy pattern kinda gives you that sense of ever-present clouds AND foreboding. While the pattern may have shifted away from weekend storms, it's still active and fidgety.

Watching the last bands of heavy rain push north of the Commonwealth this afternoon. Oddly, the stronger precipitation was able to bring down the colder air and switch us over to mix or snow from Fitchburg to Lawrence and across the border from Merrimack to Portsmouth, NH. I'm not worked up about accumulations as the storm is in its death throws, but there might be a few areas of refreeze tonight in those areas. Elsewhere, fog, drizzle and lighter winds will rule the night.

Our attention then focuses on the backside of the storm tomorrow. Much ado about nothing for a good part of the day, but late in the evening - and the music's seeping through (sorry, some Paul Simon jumped into my head) - as the cold air returns on a northwest wind, we could mix in some wet snow. Accumulations will be slight, spotty and unworthy of an accumulation map, but watch for some slick spots after dark and into the night.

Sun's back on Friday and througout the weekend. Temperatures will be right near 40 each afternoon, and we can let our hair down (OK, some of us) for a few days.

But we're not out of the woods. Big, burly storm will drift off the Mid Atlantic coast - prompting mass panic in the media no doubt - before it decides whether to come into New England. Still a lot to work out, but accumulations would be major, not minor. Timeframe is Thu-Fri - prone to change. What's to fear? Well, the storm mostly misses us now. If  you've read my blogs before, you know my rule: if the storm seems to miss us in the long range, it's one to watch. If they show it hitting us 7 days out, chances are it won't.

Call it counterintuitive meteorology.

Pete

Saved by The Sea Breeze

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Although my forecast was busted today, there was one good thing that came out of it.

Stability.

That gray overcast that hung over the eastern half of the Commonwealth provided a stablizing influence to our atmosphere. The cool air blowing in from the ocean kept the temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s all the way back to Metrowest. While that makes for lousy short-and-t-shirt weather, it is poison to thunderstorms.

Storms, Heat, Sea Breezes

Posted by Pete Bouchard

What a day! Breakneck temperature swings, thunder, tornadoes in Western Mass....and we're still in late May!

Summ-ah!

Posted by Pete Bouchard

With the snap of the fingers we were thrown into summer this afternoon. Heat, humidity, A/C and shorts - with a hazy sun to boot. But with the sea breeze knocking back the temperatures (and bringing in a round of downpours this evening), there are changes afoot.

Warming Up and Unsettled

Posted by Chris Lambert

Well, it certainly was a great weekend weather-wise until this afternoon when the temps dropped and light showers moved in from west to east.  Despite the cool down, the theme for this upcoming week is warmer with higher humidity.  It'll also be unsettled at times.