Knee-Jerk Temperatures

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Did a little melting with the sun and semi-mild temperatures today. In addition there was a great Sun Dog in the sky around 2:45

Sun Dogs happen when sunlight is refracted (bent) around ice crystals in high clouds. They give the appearance of another sun to the left and right of the actual sun. They're most common in the winter months when the sun angle is low.

OK, lesson over. Back to the forecast - which is looking mighty busy. In terms of high temperatures, we're all over the place. Nosedive tonight, then back up over the weekend. To go from 20s to 40s on Saturday and Sunday, you need a lot of wind. And that's just what we'll have for the next few days. So hang on tight.

First up is a close brush with a storm tonight and early tomorrow. I expect a band of light snow to break out after midnight for the Cape and Islands. Some accumulation is likely the farther out you go on the Cape, but Nantucket actually has the best chance for plowable snow as they are closest to the storm's track. Plan on a good 3-4 inches there. Elsewhere, the amounts are pretty minor:

This is a fast-moving storm, so if you sleep in you'll might miss the whole shooting match. The exception to that is the outer Cape. There, we may see some lingering snowshowers through midday. Minor stuff, but still in the air. Gusty winds will have a good hold on the rest of us through the day. Despite sun, we'll only manage 20s.

A gusty southwest wind will send that back into the 40s by Saturday afternoon. No precipitation is in sight, but there will be lots of clouds moving through.

Sunday night at Gillette, the cold air will come rushing back in. Although temperatures will hold in the low/mid 30s at gametime, the wind chill will hover in the upper 10s!

Stay warm and GOOOOOOOOOOOO Pats!!!

Pete

Unsettling

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Another day where we have cool, ocean air battling warmer land air leading to a clash of air. That means clouds, drizzle, fog, humidity (frizzy hair) for much of the day. It's not a washout though. The highest chance of rain is this morning--until 9:30am and then later this afternoon (after 3pm). In between, you will see a lot of clouds but also some sunshine at times. Even limited sun will be able to shove temps well into the 70s. This warm & humid air is what will lead to another round of showers & t-storms later today. Some of the storms will be intense. Like the past two days the strongest storms will be in western New England. Only isolated showers/ thunderstorms are expected along the coastline later today. Sox game will have the risk of some showers but they should be able to play that game. Welcome back Tito!

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.

Wild & Wacky

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Wild temperatures yesterday---from the 80s down into the low 60s in just an hour AND some heavy duty thunderstorms. The reason was a cool front that dropped in from Maine. That front is in western New England this morning and it's a chameleon as it will become a warm front and try to warm things back up during the day.

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!