World and Nation

A final October warmup

Even though November is just around the corner, the Institute will experience temperatures more typical of mid-to-late September in the next couple of days. As a cold front approaches from the west, a high pressure system will remain situated to our southeast, leading to mostly sunny skies and warm-air advection. Until the front reaches eastern New England, winds will be from the south and southwest, allowing temperatures to rocket into the high 60s and low 70s (°F) this afternoon and tomorrow. The cold front will pass through tomorrow evening, bringing the possibility of rain showers as it returns temperatures to more seasonally-appropriate levels.

This week’s weather will surely be calmer than it was 23 years ago this week. On this day in 1991, a low pressure system formed off the coast of Nova Scotia. Over the next four days, that system would merge with the remnants of Hurricane Grace and become a powerful nor’easter that would sink ships and cause millions of dollars of damage along the New England coastline. As a result of unique meteorological circumstances leading to this storm, it became known as the Perfect Storm (and is the inspiration for the book and film of the same name).