Pleasant weekend ahead
The hot and humid weather of the last several days will continue today, with a chance of thunderstorms today. Thunderstorms are a common summertime occurrence, but it is important to take the treat of severe weather carefully. On Monday afternoon, a mesocyclone passed just north of MIT, and had a tornado warning associated with it. Although no actual tornadoes were reported, there was a confirmed microburst (with straight line winds of 90–100 mph) that caused wind damage in Bedford. Although the threat of severe weather looks to be minimal in our area the rest of the week, it is good practice to stay informed by checking the National Weather Service (weather.gov) for severe weather watches and warnings.
Rollercoaster weather this week
Strong swings in the weather conditions will occur this week. Today, the high temperature is expected to reach into the 50°Fs, but over the next two days temperatures will plummet in association with a winter storm and Thursday temperatures will only reach the mid 20°Fs.
A brief thaw
The month of February has featured long stretches of below-average temperatures, but yesterday’s high temperature, as recorded by the weather station on the roof of Building 54, was 49.2°F. This was the first temperature above 45°F recorded since February 2. The brief thaw continues today with the passage of a warm front, before a cold frontal passage tonight will initiate a gradual cooling trend through the weekend. The precipitation associated with these frontal passages will be rain, and there is even a chance of thunderstorms. With the amount of snow still on the ground and snow-clogged storm drains, it could be quite messy out. Watch out for giant puddles as you step off the curb! Unfortunately for those longing for spring, next week features a return to below average temperatures in the 20°Fs and 30°Fs, but it is too soon to tell we will be adding to the 22.5” of snow received in February before the month is out.
Snow, wind, brutal cold
With the arrival of another winter storm, another common meteorological term has entered the popular lexicon: bombogenesis. Bombogenesis refers to the rapid intensification of a mid-latitude cyclone (specifically, a surface pressure decrease of 24 hPa or more in 24 hour period). The system that brought snowfall to the Northeast beginning yesterday afternoon developed rapidly off the Virginia coast, prompting the use of the term bombogenesis in several media reports. A total of 8 to 14 inches of snow was expected across Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, making for our first major snowfall since the 15.1 inches we received in the January 2-3 storm. While the snow may stop around midday today, it will still be brutally cold, thanks to temperatures in the teens and blustery north winds - combining to create wind chill values near or below 0°F. Quite a contrast from the mild temperatures of last week! Tomorrow and Friday the skies will clear, but it will remain chilly with daytime highs in the teens and lows in the single digits. The weekend should bring a return to temperatures in the 30°Fs.
Arctic air mass brings chilly temperatures
A frontal passage early this morning brought the first snow showers of the season to our region. While at the time of this writing it was unknown whether Logan Airport would record measurable snowfall, it would be comparable timing to the date of the first snowfall last year (on Nov. 7, 2012, 0.10” of snow was recorded at Logan Airport).
Super typhoon in Pacific and quiet weather here
A high pressure system moving into our region today will keep the long weekend mostly dry, with temperatures in the upper 40°Fs to low 50°Fs. There is a slight chance for a few showers on Saturday night as a weak clipper system passes by, but it is more likely we will just see increased clouds. Monday looks to be a pleasant Veterans Day before a cold front moves in Monday night, ushering in much colder temperatures for the middle of next week.
Quiet, sunny weather persists
It will be a pleasant early fall weekend, thanks to a high pressure system that will remain in control of our weather. The high temperatures will be near or slightly above the climatological normal value of 69°F, while the low temperatures will likely be slightly cooler than the climatological normal value of 54°F, thanks to mostly clear skies that allow for strong radiative cooling at night. It is unlikely we will receive rain before the end of the month on Monday, so we will fall far short of the 3.44” that is the climatological average for September precipitation (so far, we’ve received 2.21”). Looking farther ahead, a coastal low will pass to our east on Monday night. There is significant model spread in the position of the low, but there is a chance that rain will impact the Cape and Islands.
A humid end to summer
Summer is commonly regarded as beginning on Memorial Day weekend and ending on Labor Day weekend. While the astronomical summer runs from June 21 to Sept. 22, the warmest temperatures tend to lag the peak insolation; meteorological summer is therefore defined as June, July, and August. Therefore, defining Labor Day as the end of summer does have some merit.
After a cool start, week warms up
It has been a cool start to the week, with high temperatures yesterday barely making it to 60°F, a trend that will continue today. It may get a few degrees warmer than yesterday, but we are still looking at the low 60°Fs, but that could be knocked down with the development of an afternoon seabreeze. Temperatures tonight will also be chilly, with lows in the low 40°Fs. Last night, in fact, the National Weather Service put out frost advisories because away from the coast, low temperature were expected to drop into the 30°Fs. Luckily for the warm weather lovers, milder air will work its way into the region for the end of the week, with highs Thursday and Friday expected to be in the mid to upper 70°Fs.
Rain today and chilly end of week
The highly variable weather over the last week as we moved into meteorological spring is very characteristics of this transitional season; a pattern that will continue. Warm temperatures the last few days have melted most of the snow we received on Friday. Today should be even warmer, with highs reaching the mid 50°Fs, due to southerly winds and warm air advection ahead of an approaching cold front. Unfortunately, this approaching cold front also means rain today and tonight. The cold front will move across our region tonight, with the rain tapering off by daybreak tomorrow. Tomorrow, temperatures will continue to be mild before the colder air behind the front moves in to make for a chilly end to the week.
Rain tonight, followed by a dry week
The Boston area received a quick blast of winter weather on Sunday, when Logan Airport recorded 5.1 inches of snow. The fresh snow on top of the ice-coated snow remaining from the previous weekend’s snow storm made for slippery conditions. The cold temperatures of Sunday and Monday will make way for highs today in upper 40°Fs, as a warm front associated with a low pressure system in the Great Lakes rotates through our region. It will bring with it showers (mostly rain) this afternoon and evening. Following the passage of the associated cold front tonight, Wednesday and Thursday will be slightly colder than normal with blustery winds. The weather will moderate somewhat on Friday before our next chance for precipitation on the weekend. Five days out, there is still uncertainty, but at the moment it looks like a mix of rain and snow.
Frigid weather next two days
After weeks of above average temperatures, it appears that winter has finally arrived. The main story this week is the frigid temperatures across a large portion of the U.S. With yesterday’s high temperature in Boston only reaching 25°F, and temperatures today and tomorrow forecast to struggle to make it to 20°F, we are experiencing the coldest weather of the winter thus far. Today and tomorrow will be particularly frigid, as strong west/northwest winds will combine with the bitterly cold air to produce wind chills down to -12°F. The temperatures should moderate somewhat over the weekend, but are still expected to be below freezing.
Seasonable weather in store for Boston
Last Friday’s muggy and wet weather provided a bit of a messy start to the weekend, but the weather rebounded to provide New England with gorgeous weather for the rest of the weekend into the beginning of this week. With sunny skies and above average temperatures, it was a great weekend to get outside, as the crowds at the Head of the Charles Regatta would surely agree. In fact, Saturday’s high temperature of 74°F was a whopping 14°F above normal! A warm front will approach the region tonight and tomorrow, so some light rain is possible tomorrow. However, a blocking pattern will keep the warm front to our south. With a high pressure from Canada in control, seasonable temperatures are in store for this week, with highs around 60°F.
Warmth today/tomorrow before temps drop Sunday
Autumn weather is often characterized by large swings in temperature from one day to the next, and this weekend will be no exception. After several days of cloudy, drizzly conditions, today will be warm and dry, with highs reaching into the upper 70°F’s. With southerly warm air advection, 80°F is not beyond the realm of possibility. The warm temperatures will persist tomorrow before a cold front that is trailing a low in Canada moves through tomorrow night. There is a chance of showers tomorrow afternoon/evening, but the main effect of the front will be to drop the temperatures. Indeed, Sunday’s high is expected to be quite a bit chillier, only reaching the mid 50°F’s. An intensifying low moving up the coast will bring widespread rainfall on Sunday afternoon and evening. Clear skies should rebound for the holiday on Monday, but with cooler than normal temperatures.
Unsettled weather ahead
An amplifying upper level trough and the remnants of a subtropical low from the Gulf of Mexico will combine to bring breezy and rainy conditions to our region over the next two days. As the system approaches today, rain showers will develop. The passage of a warm front will keep temperatures nearly steady overnight tonight with rain showers and thunderstorms throughout the evening into tomorrow morning. The rain could be heavy at times, so urban flooding is a distinct possibility. A strong southerly low level jet ahead of the approaching cold front will cause gusty winds. There is disagreement between the models regarding how quickly the front will move offshore, but it looks like most of the rain will stop by mid-morning tomorrow. Later in the week, seasonably cool temperatures are expected.
Remnants of Isaac to bring rain to region
After a lovely Labor Day Weekend with sunny skies and seasonal temperatures, rain will return to the area just in time for the start of the semester.
Sunny skies to return this weekend
After a couple days of clouds and rain, the sun will return just in time for the weekend. As a low pressure system exits the region today, lingering showers should be limited to this morning with the skies clearing as we move into the evening hours. Tomorrow, an upper level ridge and surface high pressure will build over New York and the off the mid-Atlantic coast, respectively.
Breezy weather this week; more rain will come soon
The weather at the beginning of this week has been quite a contrast to the weather last week. Last Monday (Patriot’s Day), a record high temperature of 87°F was set in Boston. Temperatures also reached in to the 80°F’s last Tuesday — but this week is quite a different story.
Yesterday’s warm day a record high for Boston
Yesterday’s decidedly spring like weather set a record high temperature for March 8 in Boston. The recorded high at Logan Airport was 68°F, surpassing the previous record set in 1995 at 67°F, and a whopping 25°F above the climatological value. In addition, as anyone who was outside yesterday knows, it was quite windy, with a sustained wind of 37 mph and gusts to 49 mph at Logan. The weather station on the roof of the Green Building recorded a high temperature of 68.8°F, a maximum sustained wind of 23 mph, and a maximum wind gust of 36 mph. These strong winds were felt across much of the Northeast, with maximum wind gusts of up to 54 mph along coast south of Boston. Unfortunately for those hoping the warm weather was here to stay, we will have a brief period of chillier weather (around normal values in the low 40°Fs) today and Saturday, following a cold front. The high temperatures look to return early next week, with temperatures near 70°F possible.
Rain today, colder days ahead for this weekend
The weather these past two days given us a taste of spring. The high temperatures yesterday and Wednesday were 15°F and 17°F above the normal 40°F, respectively. That warmth, however, will not last, as temperatures will struggle to reach 40°F tomorrow in association with a shortwave moving through. While this shortwave is expected to bring several inches of snow to areas of central and western Massachusetts and New Hampshire, here in Cambridge we are primarily expected to receive rain. The rain should begin to taper off in the afternoon, ending by 8 p.m. or so. Following the passage of this system, high pressure will build into the region, keeping the weekend dry with seasonable temperatures. However, tomorrow could be quite breezy following the departure of the low pressure, so it could feel a bit colder than the forecasted high of 43°F.
Warmth and lack of snow will continue this week
With the exception of a few cold spurts (like this past Sunday), this winter has been marked by a general trend of above average temperatures. This weather will continue this week, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 40s (8°C); 10°F (-12°C) above normal. It has also been a dry winter, with only 2.74" of precipitation occurring since Jan. 1, compared to a climatological value of 4.67". The first two weeks of February have also been unusually dry, with only 0.07" of precipitation compared to a usual month-to-date value of 1.31". Not only has this winter featured a lack of precipitation — Boston has had a lack of snowfall in particular. Since Dec. 1, Boston has recorded 6.8" of snow, far less than the climatological value of 26.5" (and miniscule, compared with last season’s 71.2"). Unfortunately for those hoping for snow, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards this week. There is a system coming through on Thursday and Friday that should bring measurable precipitation, but it looks to be only in the form of rain.
All-time warmest Autumn in Boston
In last Friday’s weather discussion, Austin DiOrio noted that this November was the second-warmest November recorded at Logan Airport. This fits in with the fact that this autumn (September-October-November) broke the record for all-time warmest autumn, with an average temperature of 58.5°F. This is 4°F above normal, and above the previous record of 58.3°F set in 1931. December started out warm as well, with the high temperatures on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week a whopping 18°F, 17°F, and 15°F, respectively, above normal. The past few days however, have seen a return to more seasonable temperatures, a trend that will continue today and tomorrow before a brief excursion into the low 50s on Thursday. Looking further ahead, the weekend looks to be chilly with highs in the mid 30s — good weather for staying inside and studying for finals!
Unseasonably warm in first half of week
A high pressure system is in control for the first half of the week, bringing beautiful weather conditions to the Boston area. Similar to yesterday, today and tomorrow should be sunny with unseasonably warm temperatures. Normal high temperatures for this time of year are around 55°F, but we may experience temperatures over 10°F higher than that. Enjoy the nice weather while at lasts, because a coastal low will approach the region on Thursday. With plenty of moisture associated with that system, there is a potential for heavy rain Thursday afternoon and evening. The low will exit Friday morning, with clouds dissipating as a high pressure moves in from the southwest. The temperatures on Friday will be more seasonal, as northwest winds behind the exiting low advect colder air into the region.
Sequence of low pressures to affect region
This week, a fairly active weather pattern is in place, with a sequence of low-pressure systems marching across the country and bringing periods of bad weather to New England. The first was a mid-level shortwave trough that passed through last night. Tomorrow will be calm, but clouds will increase tomorrow night as a warm front pushes through ahead of the next system. There is uncertainty as to how much precipitation that system will bring, but there remains the possibility of rain showers on Wednesday. More certain is a cold front that will pass through on Thursday, which will cause high temperatures to struggle to reach 50°F. The timing is subject to change, but as of now it looks like Thursday afternoon and evening have the highest chance of rain. That low should move out in time for Friday to be sunny, but chilly.
Sunny, but chilly, most of the week
A deepening low pressure moved up the coast toward our region last night, causing rainy conditions. As the low moves away throughout the day today, lingering rain showers are most likely this morning, before tapering off in the afternoon. As the low moves offshore tonight, skies will remain cloudy before yielding to partly cloudy skies tomorrow. The primary significant weather for tomorrow will be winds, as sustained winds out of the northwest of 15–20 mph are expected, with gusts up to 30 mph. Cold air advection associated with this strong northwest flow will usher in colder air for tomorrow and Thursday, with temperatures as low as the upper 30s possible tomorrow and Thursday nights. Compared with climatological low temperatures of around 50°F, this will quite a bit cooler. Overall, a high pressure system with abundant cold air aloft will keep the weather dry, sunny, and cool for the next few days before warming up again for the holiday weekend.
Sunny but cooler weekend ahead
After experiencing warm temperatures most of this week, a cold frontal passage last night ushered in more fall-like weather. A high-pressure system will settle in to the region, bringing with it a much colder and drier air mass. While temperatures Monday through Thursday were 10°F above normal mid-60°Fs, temperatures this weekend could be as much as 10°F below normal. With clear skies and low wind speeds, the conditions tonight will be ideal for radiative cooling, allowing temperatures to drop into the mid 40°Fs.
Weather: Impacts of TS Irene on New England
After making landfall near Cape Lookout, NC on Saturday morning with sustained winds of 85 mph (gusting to 115 mph), Hurricane Irene moved up the coast, bringing heavy rain to much of New England throughout Saturday and Sunday. Irene made her final landfall as a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph in Brooklyn, NY around 9 AM on Sunday, before quickly moving north through New England into Canada. Irene caused near record high tide levels of 9.5 feet at the Battery in NYC, as well as high storm surge on Long Island. In New England, the main impacts were power outages (over half a million people were without power in Massachusetts) due to trees toppled by the strong winds, and flooding due to heavy rain.
Last week’s tornado outbreak breaks record
As reviewed in last Friday’s weather discussion, the tornado outbreak in the southern part of the country was a historic event. Yesterday, NOAA released a preliminary estimate on the total number of tornadoes associated with that storm. Between 8 a.m. April 25 and 8 a.m. April 28, there were 362 tornadoes. The bulk of those tornadoes (312) occurred between 8 a.m. April 27 to 8 a.m. April 28. This shattered the previous record for largest number of tornadoes in one event, which had been 148 from April 3–4, 1974.
April showers
The weather gods cooperated with MIT this past weekend, providing sunny skies and warmth for CPW and the convocation celebrating MIT’s 150th anniversary. Temperatures over the weekend were 5–10°F above normal, while yesterday’s high of 72°F was only 6°F shy of the record high (78°F) and 18°F above the climatological value of 54°F. The weather the next few days will be a bit less pleasant, however. A cold front stalled to our south will cause cloudy skies and the chance of scattered rain showers for tomorrow. The real action will be late tonight and tomorrow, as a coastal low impacts our region.
A taste of spring
Yesterday the weather gods provided us with a gorgeous St. Patrick’s Day, with sunny skies and temperatures just above 60°F. The above-average warmth — normal highs are in the mid-40°Fs this time of year — will continue tomorrow, with temperatures pushing into the upper 60°Fs. These highs are due to strong warm air advection, aided by a low-level jet in front of an approaching cold front. Unfortunately, our taste of spring will not last, as the cold front will pass through early tomorrow evening, ushering in cooler, more seasonal air for the weekend. Associated with the cold front passage, we will see gusty winds tomorrow afternoon and evening. A high pressure system will keep our weekend dry before the next low moves in on Monday for the start of spring break.
Active Weather Ahead
The high pressure system that has brought us sunny, dry weather for the last week has finally moved off the coast, allowing a sequence of storms to impact our region over the next few days. The first system comes through today, bringing heavy rain and blustery conditions. The rain should taper off by the evening, but could be quite heavy at times this morning and this afternoon. We should receive 1.5–2 inches of rain. As for the wind, the southeast winds of the morning will weaken and shift as the low passes in the afternoon, before shifting to strong northwesterlies on the backside of the low. Gusts of up to 55 mph are possible tonight. Saturday will be mostly quiet before a shortwave trough brings a chance of snow showers on Sunday morning. The next major system moves in on Monday; right now it looks like it will be mostly rain, but some sleet and freezing rain could be mixed in.
Weekend weather returns to normal
For the last several days, we have been experiencing temperatures in the 50°Fs, tricking us into thinking that spring has arrived. Yesterday it reached 59°F at Logan Airport, just shy of the 61°F record high. Warm temperatures will persist today thanks to a high pressure system in the Atlantic that is spinning warm air our way. However, the rest of the weekend will feature a return to normal conditions, with high temperatures in the upper 30°Fs. A cold front will pass through tonight, but a lack of moisture associated with it means any precipitation will be minimal. Saturday and Sunday will be partly cloudy with blustery conditions that will make it feel quite cold compared with yesterday and today, especially on Saturday, when gusts of up to 45 mph are possible. For our day off on Monday for President’s Day, a low pressure system will bring the possibility of a wintry mix of precipitation.
Quiet weather continues
After a seemingly endless string of strong winter storms during January and the first week of February, the quiet weather this past week has been a welcome reprieve. January was a snowier- and wetter-than-average month for Boston, with 38.3 inches of snow and 4.57 inches of total precipitation (liquid equivalent), compared with normal values of 13.5 inches and 3.92 inches, respectively. The 38.3 inches of snow fell just short of the January record, which was 43.3 inches in 2005. Thankfully for those who are weary of shoveling, the quiet weather of the past week should continue through the middle of next week. There are a couple of clipper systems lined up to move rapidly through New England over the weekend, but their relatively weak strength and lack of moisture will keep any precipitation limited to a few scattered snow showers.
Yet another winter storm
Yesterday’s storm system took a track similar to that of last week’s blizzard, but wasn’t accompanied by nearly as much cold air. Thus, we received the dreaded “wintry mix”; snow followed by sleet, freezing rain and rain, instead of all snow. Most of that should be out of the region today, leaving us with relatively dry conditions until the next storm system comes Thursday night into Friday. Different models have that system tracking differently, either eastward from the Ohio Valley or coming up the coast. In Cambridge, most, if not all, the precipitation associated with it should be snow (possibly around 6 inches). Following this, a high pressure will move in giving us a sunny but frigid weekend, with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits. Bundle up!
A Snowy December
According to the National Weather Service, this December was the 9th snowiest December on record for Boston, MA, with 22 inches of snow recorded. A significant portion of that (18.2 inches) was due to a single storm, the December 26–27 storm. This snowstorm tied for the 10th greatest snowstorm total for Boston, and was also the greatest 24 hour December snowfall amount. We won’t need to wait long for our next chance at significant snowfall. Following a high pressure system that will have control over the area until Friday, the forecast models are predicting the development of a strong coastal or offshore low pressure system that would impact our area Friday–Saturday. There is still much uncertainty surrounding this system, both in terms of the timing and track (which of course affects the snowfall total), but there is a good likelihood for precipitation in our region.
Rain wednesday, then cooling off
Yesterday’s sunny skies and seasonal temperatures will give way today and tomorrow to increasing clouds and warmer than average temperatures ahead of an approaching low pressure systems. The models are predicting a secondary low (associated with a low pressure in Ontario) to form in central New York and affect our region on Wednesday.
Ready your rain gear!
The gorgeous weather this past weekend was displaced by a weak cold front that crossed the area Sunday and Monday. Low level easterly flow yesterday brought moisture off of the Atlantic, causing there to be low clouds throughout the day.
Fall fluctuations
Fall weather in New England is characterized by a great deal of variability in the day to day weather, particularly the temperature. The temperature oscillates back and forth between warm and cold, while overall trending colder as we move towards winter. This will be especially apparent over the next couple of days. A cold frontal passage last night brought dry, cold air into the region, making today’s high 5–10°F below normal. Breezy conditions out of the northwest will make it feel even colder, so it is definitely a day to break out a jacket. The dry, clear conditions mean the temperature could drop quite a bit over night into the lower to mid 30s °F . Over the weekend, partial sunshine and warm air advection will moderate the temperatures, before we enter a few days of above average temperatures (upper 60s °F) at the beginning of next week. The weekend should be mostly rain free, with the exception a chance of showers on Sunday afternoon.
Pleasant Weather Ahead
After a couple of gray, rainy days in the early part of this week, more pleasant weather will be in store for us this weekend. Today will be mostly sunny with warm temperatures, but could be quite breezy ahead of an approaching cold front. There is not much moisture associated with this front, so there are no showers expected as it passes on Friday night, but it will bring cooler temperatures and increasing clouds. High pressure will then take over for the rest of the weekend, with temperatures in the low to mid 60°Fs and sunny skies expected. With the dry airmass and mostly clear conditions on Saturday night, the temperatures could be cold enough to have the first frost of the season. As the high pressure moves offshore on Monday, southwest winds will bring milder temperatures, making for a pleasant Columbus Day.
Weather
With no hurricanes currently active in the Atlantic, today’s weather description will focus on New England’s current weather. For the next couple days, there will continue to be cloudy, rainy weather. Last night there was the unusual occurrence of temperatures rising overnight; a consequence of a warm frontal passage. This frontal passage is responsible for the warm, humid weather today, with a chance of showers throughout the day. With rain that could be heavy at times as well as strong winds, it will certainly not be the nicest of weather. Tomorrow will also be cloudy with a slight chance of showers, especially in the evening. By Thursday, a strong low pressure system is forecast to track into the Northeast, bringing tropical moisture with it, although there is still uncertainty in the timing. The combination of high levels of precipitable water and lift means that there is the potential for heavy rain and urban flooding from Wednesday night to Friday morning.
Igor, Julia, and Karl, oh my!
The active hurricane season continues in the Atlantic, with three hurricanes occurring simultaneously (a fairly rare occurrence in the Atlantic). As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Igor had sustained winds of 125 mph, Julia had sustained winds of 85 mph, and Karl had sustained winds of 80 mph. Igor has maintained its Category 4 intensity for several days, and is expected to continue to be a powerful hurricane before gradually weakening as he moves over colder waters while curving towards Bermuda. Julia was a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday, before weakening due to less favorable environmental conditions, including interaction with Igor’s outflow, and is forecast to continue to dissipate. Neither Igor nor Julia forecasted tracks indicate that they will impact the U.S. Karl actually intensified to hurricane status after making landfall in Belize as a tropical storm and crossing over the Yucatan peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico, and is expected to make a second landfall in eastern Mexico this afternoon.
Hurricane Earl Approaches
After five straight days sunny skies with temperatures greater than 90°F, today Cambridge will experience a different type of summer weather phenomenon; a hurricane. Hurricane Earl, which has been churning in the Atlantic for the last week, had an intensity of 115 mph and was located 670 miles south/southwest of Nantucket (off the coast of North Carolina). The hurricane is predicted to pass about 60 miles east of Chatham, MA (on Cape Cod) Friday night, and although it will have weakened due to the colder ocean waters, it should still pack some powerful winds. Cape Cod may experience winds of up to 80 mph, stormy seas with wave heights of 20 feet, as well as heavy rain. Here in Cambridge, further from the center of the storm, we should expect heavy rainfall this evening through early tomorrow morning and winds of up to 40 mph (tropical storm strength), with the possibility of stronger gusts. The rest of the holiday weekend should be sunny with milder temperatures.
Sunny weekend ahead
Wednesday’s storm was a major disappointment for those hoping for significant snow accumulations here in Cambridge. While the storm dumped around a foot of snow along the I-95 corridor from Washington D.C. to New York City, it remained stalled off the Long Island coast for most of the day on Wednesday. We therefore only experienced light snow and some drizzly rain; Logan Airport recorded 1.2” of snow. It appears that warm air advection wrapping around the storm allowed the temperatures to increase enough to prevent significant snow accumulation in Eastern Massachusetts.
Weather in the New Year
There was active winter weather over the holiday season in the Boston area, with two major snowstorms occurring over the last two and a half weeks. After a snowy start to the new year this past weekend, this week will be decidedly quieter. There will be relatively clear skies today and tomorrow. Temperatures will continue to be slightly below normal, with high temperatures around freezing (32°F, 0°C) both today and tomorrow. A shortwave trough will move over New England on Friday, bringing snow showers to the region. Light accumulation is possible. The shortwave will also intensify a coastal low pressure system, which should pass well to our southeast, and not have much of an impact in Cambridge. Over the weekend, an arctic air mass will move in behind the shortwave that passed through on Friday. Skies will be mostly sunny with colder temperatures and moderate (10–15 mph) winds from the northwest. Calm weather is expected to continue into early next week.
From Record Warmth to Snow?
Hopefully everyone enjoyed the warm sunny day we had yesterday, because this weekend brings a return to more seasonable conditions. The preliminary climate report from the National Weather Service indicates that yesterdays recorded high temperature of 69°F at Logan Airport was a whopping 23°F above normal. It broke the previous record for December 3, which was 65°F set back in 1932.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, which means that winter is on the horizon. Thanks to El Niño, the National Weather Service is predicting a warmer-than-average winter across much of the western and central US, but a cooler-than-average winter across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Another Rainy Weekend
The past week has been a terrific example of how variable fall weather can be. While last weekend was cold and rainy (and even a bit snowy on Sunday!), the last few days have been warm and sunny. This variability continues over the next couple of days. Today should be significantly cooler than the past couple days. The temperature will only make it to around 50°F, and brisk winds from the north mean it will feel even cooler. The next low pressure system will move into our area late tonight.
It’s Raining Pumpkins!
Fall is officially here! There are several ways one may have noticed that the seasons changed. First of all, Halloween merchandise is all over the stores (time to start planning your costume). Yesterday’s cool temperatures were another hint, a trend that will continue today. Finally, this weekend is the “Great Glass Pumpkin Patch,” in which the MIT Glass Lab displays and sells over 1,000 handblown glass pumpkins. Unfortunately, the weather may not cooperate this weekend and we may have a wet and rainy pumpkin patch.