High pressure creates picture-perfect weekend
The cold front that passed through our region yesterday has ushered in a high pressure system that will dominate our weather for the next few days. With the high pressure in control, we can expect clear skies, sunshine, and calm winds for the entire weekend. The substantial westerly winds that brought temperatures in the upper 80s °F to Boston earlier this week will now be absent, allowing for the development of a sea breeze. With sea surface temperatures near 70°F in Massachusetts Bay, the sea breeze will work to cool off the Institute, keeping afternoon temperatures around or below 80°F each day. This pattern is expected to continue at least until Monday night, when the next frontal system will begin to approach from the west.
Of course, such calm weather isn’t always to be expected at this time of year. This Sunday marks the 378th anniversary of the Great Colonial Hurricane. The storm, estimated to have been a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, swept through Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, bringing extremely high winds and storm surges of up to 20 feet, and resulting in at least 46 fatalities.