DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 29 – MAY 3)

Today’s weather will be quite nice, in most areas, most of the time, but the temperature by day’s end is going to end up varying significantly from one part of the area to another. We had a mild night sitting in the “warm sector” or a warm air mass, and while some clouds trying to move in from the northwest can limit the sun, we’ll still warm up nicely, but this will be thwarted along the coast by a sea breeze by midday, and then systematically wiped out by a back door cold front that arrives from northeast to southwest later today and tonight. Some midday showers can slide across southern NH and nearby northeastern MA. Other than that there’s the potential for a pop up shower over inland areas by evening. With the front sliding far enough southwest, high pressure in eastern Canada and weak low pressure moving along the boundary to our south Tuesday and early Wednesday, we’ll have the opportunity to see some rain at times, though not very much, with most of it Tuesday night, but it will be quite cool with a region-wide onshore flow from the chilly Atlantic. Drier air will result in some improving weather during Wednesday as the low moves away and high pressure exerts a little more influence. There are a few adjustments being made to the forecast in today’s update for later in the week. With that boundary still sitting to our south, stronger high pressure still to the north, and a weak disturbance moving through the region in a northwesterly air flow aloft, Thursday’s forecast is a bit different in comparison to my ideas of just 24 hours ago. It looks cloudier and not as warm. We may even see a few showers around as the warmer air to the south fights to move back in, but doesn’t make it. Not even sure it makes it in on Friday either when at the very least the coast is likely to be much cooler than inland areas as high pressure from Canada noses in with fair weather.

TODAY: Sun/cloud mix. Midday showers southern NH and northeastern MA. A late-day pop-up shower possible west of I-495. Highs ranging from 60-67 coast to 67-74 inland occurring by early afternoon, but falling back to the 50s coastal areas with a sharper temperature contrast heading inland during mid to late afternoon. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes developing.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy with isolated rain showers in the evening. Mostly cloudy overnight. Lows 43-50. Wind shifting to NE 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Cloudy. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Periods of light rain. Areas of drizzle/fog. Lows 44-51. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with lingering light rain/drizzle possible early, then breaking clouds. Highs 53-60, warmest inland. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 45-52. Wind E under 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. A shower possible. Highs 52-59, coolest coast. Wind SE up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a possible shower in the evening. Partly cloudy overnight. Lows 45-52. Wind SE to variable up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Partly to mostly sunny. Highs 55-62 coast, 63-70 inland. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes.

DAYS 6-10 (MAY 4-8)

This forecast is not high confidence so check upcoming updates. Currently thinking the May 4-5 weekend starts mild with fair weather, then a front moves through with showers for a portion of May 5. Next system with a shower threat around May 7 otherwise a fairly dry pattern mid to late period.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 9-13)

Generally dry pattern with a cooling trend with dominant air flow out of eastern Canada.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 28 – MAY 2)

A warm front went by overnight with showers, and we’re in the warm sector now, but with a northwest flow aloft. A couple disturbances have to go by our area. This brings a couple opportunities for passing showers, the smaller chance being around midday today, the greater chance toward evening when a few of those showers may end up on the heavier side. Not everybody will see them however, and some locations stay rain-free all day. Tomorrow’s shower chance looks limited to inland pop up afternoon ones while a back-door cold front slips into the region from the northeast. Initially a good warm up will be thwarted, especially in southern NH and eastern coastal MA to Cape Cod, by the front’s advance. Enough Canadian high pressure should put the entire region on the cool side of that boundary by Tuesday which also will be an unsettled day as a disturbance moves in from the west. The low center of this system will actually pass south of us by early Wednesday and we never really get back into the warm air. Improvement looks likely Wednesday afternoon though as the system departs, but it will be a cool day with an easterly air flow. Thursday, however, things turn around, figuratively and literally, as high pressure sinks to the south and a west to southwest wind brings a nice warm-up, except to South Coast locations which can’t warm up as much.

TODAY: Variably cloudy. Passing showers possible around midday and again late afternoon. Highs 63-70 but 55-62 South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Passing rain showers possible. Lows 48-55. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Isolated afternoon showers possible well inland. Highs 65-72 except 58-65 Boston area northward occurring by midday, with potentially falling temperatures midday on, especially Boston area north. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, but may turn NE 5-15 MPH in southern NH and eastern MA.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 43-50. Wind NE-E 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Episodic rain. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of rain. Areas of drizzle/fog. Lows 44-51. Wind SE-E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with lingering light rain/drizzle possible early, then breaking clouds. Highs 53-60, warmest inland. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Clearing, but patchy ground fog. Lows 45-52. Wind calm.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 58-65 South Coast, 66-73 elsewhere. Wind W to SW 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (MAY 3-7)

Leaning toward mild weather May 3-4 with generally fair conditions until later May 4 when a frontal boundary will go through with a shower threat. Fair, cooler mid period before unsettled weather can return late period.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 8-12)

No big changes in the general outlook heading toward the middle of May. Generally dry pattern with a couple minor systems to threaten brief unsettled weather. Overall northwest to north flow should result in temperatures averaging slightly below normal.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 27 – MAY 1)

Another chilly sunrise on this Saturday morning as high pressure sits overhead. And another dry day ahead, with a slightly better ability to warm the air mass up during the day than we saw yesterday, but not all that much. The coast will still be vulnerable to a sea breeze, so it’ll be cooler there. Also, the sun won’t stay as bright as it did yesterday, as we’ll have high cloudiness fanning in from the west as the day goes on, thick enough to start filtering then dimming the sun as we head toward late afternoon. This is from a warm front approaching the region from the west. The clouds will thicken up this evening and overnight when a couple of periods of light rain will probably occur in much of the region as the front moves through. Sunday, we enter the warm sector, and you’ll notice that, along with a noticeable increase in humidity (not the stifling type you feel in summer, but nonetheless you’ll notice the air definitely has a more humid feel). A southwesterly air flow will be the transporter of this moisture into the region, but also be a direct sea breeze for the South Coast, which will be coolest compared to the remainder of the region. A weak trough approaching from the west along with a couple disturbances moving through in a northwesterly air flow can trigger a couple of showers, but the vast majority of the day will be rain-free. A similar set-up exists into Monday but with a lesser shower threat, being triggered mainly from daytime heating over interior locations. With the exit of low pressure out of southeastern Canada and an area of high pressure across southern Hudson’s Bay, a back-door cold front will make its way down the coast and into our area during the day Monday, setting up a significant temperature contrast by mid afternoon from northeast to southwest across the region. A trough of low pressure and surface frontal system will move into the Northeast via the Great Lakes and Midwest on Tuesday. Most guidance has trended to an occlusion of the low and our region staying on the cooler side with unsettled weather for Tuesday. The clouds from this system may linger into Wednesday as we keep an cool easterly air flow with weak surface low pressure moving into the waters just southeast of New England. If that system is a little quicker or weaker, Wednesday’s weather will be less cloudy and less cool than what I’m currently calling for. Check updates…

TODAY: Sunniest through midday, then increasing high cloudiness. Highs 56-63 coast, 63-70 inland. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Cloudy. A period of light rain possible overnight. Lows 47-54. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers through midday, then partly sunny. Highs 63-70 except cooler South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Passing rain showers possible. Lows 48-55. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Isolated afternoon showers possible well inland. Highs 65-72 except 58-65 Boston area northward occurring by midday, with potentially falling temperatures midday on, especially Boston area north. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, but may turn NE 5-15 MPH in southern NH and eastern MA.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 43-50. Wind NE-E 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Highs 51-58, coolest coast. Wind E-SE 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Chance of rain. Areas of drizzle/fog. Lows 44-51. Wind SE-E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Highs 53-60, warmest inland. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (MAY 2-6)

Medium range guidance is inconsistent for this time period with 3 major models showing somewhat different setups and scenarios. This is not unusual for spring. The basic idea is the same. A disturbance may be nearby sometime around May 2 or 3 with a shower threat, and another may be around later in the period, but the overall pattern to me looks dry, and while temperatures can be variable, they shouldn’t stray too far from what is typical for early May.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 7-11)

Generally dry pattern with a couple minor systems to threaten brief unsettled weather. Overall northwest to north flow should result in temperatures averaging slightly below normal.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 26-30)

No big changes from yesterday’s discussion as we head through the final 5 days of April 2024. High pressure keeps the weather fair through Saturday. Dry air and light wind allows coastal sea breezes, though the gradient wind will start to turn more southeasterly as we get to Saturday anyway with high pressure offshore and a warm front approaching from the west later on. For today and Saturday it’s abundant sun during the day and clear tonight. Clouds thicken up Saturday evening and there may be a touch of rain later at night as the warm front moves into the region. Sunday will feature lots of clouds as that warm front moves beyond the region and a weak trough approaches from the west, with a shower threat mainly morning to midday. Sunday afternoon should break out enough to be quite nice, and rather mild, but any south-facing coastal areas will be cooler due to a southwesterly wind that day. Monday’s forecast continues to have an element of complexity – a back-door cold front, typical of springtime here. This simple feature can help set up a large temperature contrast across the region, and I think that will happen. The question to answer still is how far inland/southwest does that boundary get. Fine-tuning coming up for that. Weather-wise I do think the day Monday is dry other than the slight chance of inland pop up showers mainly in the afternoon with the combination of sun’s heating, slightly less stable air, and the frontal boundary in the area. A low pressure trough and frontal system from the west will bring unsettled weather to our region in the form of rain showers for the final day of April on Tuesday.

TODAY: Sunny. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with developing coastal sea breezes.

TONIGHT: Clear. Lows 33-40. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sunniest through midday, then increasing high cloudiness. Highs 56-63 coast, 63-70 inland. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. A period of light rain possible overnight. Lows 47-54. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers through midday, then partly sunny. Highs 63-70 except cooler South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 48-55. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Isolated afternoon showers possible well inland. Highs 65-72 except 58-65 Boston area northward occurring by midday, with potentially falling temperatures midday on, especially Boston area north. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, but may turn NE 5-15 MPH in southern NH and eastern MA.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 43-50. Wind NE-E 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Highs 53-60, coolest coast. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (MAY 1-5)

A trough brings a shower chance about May 2 otherwise a dry start to May with somewhat variable but mostly near normal temperatures expected.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 6-10)

Generally dry pattern with a couple minor systems to threaten brief unsettled weather. Overall northwest to north flow should result in temperatures near to slightly below normal.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 25-29)

A large high pressure area will bring us fair weather through Saturday. The air mass being very dry with light winds promotes chilly nights, decent daily warm-ups, but cooling coastal sea breezes. We’ll have about 100% of the possible sun both today and Friday, and almost that much on Saturday, but you’ll notice and increase in high clouds from the west as Saturday goes on. This will be from an approaching warm front as low pressure heads into the western Great Lakes, and then across southeastern Canada. The warm front will struggle to get by the region so that clouds may be dominant over sunshine on Sunday, but we still should see some. Any rainfall with that front should be limited to a quick period of light rain in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday. As a weakening trough of low pressure moves into New England from the west, trailing the low in Canada, it may kick of an isolated shower Sunday but it looks like that activity would occur west and north of the WHW forecast area, so I’m not including it in the forecast. As the Canadian low moves on, a bubble of high pressure moving into eastern Canada will send a cold front southward, and this may sneak down the coast as a back-door front for our region sometime on Monday. This set-up makes Monday’s temperature forecast interesting and/or difficult, as there could be large spread from northeast to southwest across the region. For weather on Monday I’d expect a sun/cloud mix and possible pop up showers mainly over inland locations where there will be more heating and a potential frontal kicker. Still several days to fine-tune this.

TODAY: Sunny. Highs 49-56, coolest coast. Wind NW up to 10 MPH in the morning becoming variable with coastal sea breezes developing afternoon.

TONIGHT: Clear. A fog patch may form over some inland lower elevations. Lows 27-34 inland with coldest readings in lowest elevation locations, 34-41 coastal and urban areas. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sunny. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with developing coastal sea breezes.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 33-40. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 56-63 coast, 63-70 inland. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Clouding up. A period of light rain possible overnight. Lows 47-54. Wind SE to S up to 10 MPH.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Highs 63-70 most areas except cooler South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Lows 48-55. Wind SW up to 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Partly sunny. Isolated afternoon showers possible well inland. Highs 65-72 except 58-65 Boston area northward. Wind variable up to 10 MPH, but may turn NE 5-15 MPH in southern NH and eastern MA.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 30 – MAY 4)

A trough from the west brings a better shot of showers on the final day of April. Early days of May trend drier overall but one more front may bring a shower threat about May 2. No major temperature extremes foreseen.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 5-9)

Still not a high confidence forecast but general pattern looks on the dry side, and while temperatures can be variable, should not stray extremely from typical values for this time of year, but may tend to be on the cooler side of seasonal normals.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 24-28)

Today is an unsettled weather day. First, a warm front will send a thick batch of mid level clouds west to east through the region this morning, with areas of light rain, which may take a while to reach ground level due to dry air in place. Eventually these clouds start to thin out but are joined by scattered to broken lower clouds in a south to southwest air flow in the warm sector between the warm front and an approaching cold front, the latter of which will set off a scattered to broken cluster or line of showers and possible embedded thunderstorms from mid through late afternoon, west to east across the region. While some of these may be briefly heavy, they won’t last, and breaks / clearing behind them make the region a candidate for rainbows before the sun goes down. Rainbows or not, what is a certainty is the shot of chilly air that arrives tonight, initially with wind, that will then diminish overnight. This leads to the threat of near to slightly sub-freezing temperatures in normal cold spots. Any early vegetation / plants will be vulnerable to minor freeze damage. While Thursday will be a “below normal” temperature day, high pressure building in will keep the wind in check, and along with that higher angle late April sunshine, it won’t feel too bad out there. Another great day follows on Friday with high pressure in control, but that day will be warmer inland and cooler along the coast as a coastal sea breeze will develop. A quick reminder on the classic sea breeze mechanics: Clear (or mostly clear) sky allowing sun to heat land with a weak pressure gradient in place, so no prevailing wind. The sun-heated land then heats the air near its surface, causing that air to rise, which then has to be replaced, and is done so by the cooler, more dense air from the ocean, which then flows inland to fill the void left by the rising warm air. This is your sea breeze, and will reach its peak while the sun is strongest on Friday, then start to fade as the sun sinks and the sea breeze circulation breaks down. This leads to a fairly calm Friday night under a clear sky, another chilly one. Saturday’s air mass will end up warmer, but we’ll have to overcome a cold start to the morning and we’ll see a fairly significant temperature rise from dawn low temperatures to afternoon high temperatures. Coastal areas once again will be cooler Saturday with an onshore component to the wind, which will be southeast to south ahead of an approaching warm front. That front will send clouds into our region Saturday night that eventually thicken up enough for a light rain threat, but that rain will be limited as again we’ll have plenty of dry air in place. Sunday’s weather will be mild, and while we may have a variable amount of clouds around at times, it looks like we will avoid any rain threat with nothing to trigger the warm and slightly more humid air in place to develop them – so a very nice weekend overall despite a Saturday night interruption, and this is better than it looked like when this time period was in medium range. Another good reason to check updated forecasts as we draw closer to any given day or time period.

TODAY: Clouds thicken this morning with a few periods of light rain likely. Clouds break at times this afternoon for partial sun, but another passing shower and possible thunderstorm can occur during mid to late afternoon. Highs 57-64, coolest South Coast. Wind S 5-15 MPH, shifting to W at day’s end.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy evening. Clear overnight. Lows 28-35 except 35-42 urban centers / Cape Cod & Islands. Wind W 10-20 MPH early, diminishing.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 48-55. Wind NW 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 30-37, coldest interior valleys. Wind calm.

FRIDAY: Sunny. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with developing coastal sea breezes.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 33-40. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sunny to partly cloudy. Highs 56-63 coast, 63-70 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Clouding up. A period of light rain likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S up to 10 MPH shifting to SW.

SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Highs 63-70 most areas except cooler South Coast. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 29 – MAY 3)

April 29 forecast hinges on the position of a frontal boundary to our north which may drop down as a back-door cold front and cool it down significantly, while inland pop up showers are possible that afternoon. General shower threat April 30 as trough and front swings through west to east. Trend is for mostly fair weather and below to near normal temperatures during the first few days of May, though clouds may be abundant for at least part of that time frame. Not a high confidence outlook there so check updates.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 4-8)

Low confidence / high uncertainty spring forecast. Doesn’t look too wet though or with much in the way of significant temperature departure from what is typical for this time of year, but there is a lot of uncertainty in details. Much fine-tuning to come.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 23-27)

High pressure brings fair weather to our region today and a milder afternoon after a very chilly start. Clouds arrive tonight in advance of a warm front / cold front combo, trailing low pressure passing to our north, and this will result in our only unsettled day this week on Wednesday. Most of the rain shower activity with this system will be around Wednesday morning and midday, but with a secondary trough trailing the low as it moves by our longitude, another shower or even a possible thunderstorm can move through some areas mid afternoon to early evening. A shot of cool air and gusty wind Wednesday night and early Thursday, but high pressure cruises right in and Thursday afternoon is more tranquil, though the day is a cool one. High pressure parks right over the area Friday with dry, quiet weather, and significant temperature diurnal (difference from early-day low to afternoon high temperatures). This will take place again Saturday as the high center sits over us early then sinks to the south. A warm front approaching later Saturday will bring some high and mid level clouds to the region but the day will be a dry one, with any warm-frontal rainfall likely moving far north of our region late Saturday or Saturday night.

TODAY: A stratus cloud patch hangs around Boston’s southern suburbs briefly, otherwise sunshine today with some high clouds arriving later on. Highs 57-64, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes developing.

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows 40-47. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with rain showers likely through midday. Mostly cloudy to partly sunny mid afternoon on but an additional shower and/or thunderstorm may move through some areas later afternoon to early evening. Highs 56-63. Wind S 5-15 MPH, shifting to W by late-day.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W to NW 10-20 MPH.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 48-55. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts early, but diminishing.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 33-40. Wind N under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sunny. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind N to variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes developing.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 33-40. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sunny to partly cloudy. Highs 57-64, coolest coast. Wind SE up to 10 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 28 – MAY 2)

Typical spring set-up. We can get quite warm, at least in parts of the region, April 28-29, and lots of clouds and showers can be around on April 28 with the approach of a front from the west. Also, another boundary (a back-door front) may sneak down from the northeast sometime April 29-30 when and ocean air flow can make us quite cool and when combined with another trough coming in from the west, unsettled as well. Conditions may be slow to improve the first couple days of May if we get into this pattern as well, but that part is low confidence, so please check upcoming updates for more.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 3-7)

Overall pattern looks dry but may turn more unsettled later in the period. Temperatures above normal early period, then a cooling trend.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 22-26)

We’re going to have a cool and fairly quiet 5-day period with only one unsettled interruption between 2 pairs of fair weather days. We start with high pressure bringing lots of sun and cool weather for today, Earth Day, the third consecutive Fabulous Monday, a streak that started back on Solar Eclipse Day April 8 and continued with last Monday’s Patriots Day holiday. High pressure overhead brings us a clear and chilly night tonight, but a significant rebound tomorrow (a big diurnal or difference between early morning low and afternoon high temps). Clouds arrive tomorrow night with a weak warm front passing by overnight, and during Wednesday we’ll have a cloudy morning and midday with rain showers aplenty, as a cold front heads across the region. The speed of this system is such that we should see the wet weather come to an end in the afternoon and some partial clearing to follow later on in the day. Another shot of chilly air arrives that night through Thursday night, along with plenty of wind through Thursday, a day that will feature sun and passing clouds. High pressure building back over the region on Friday will mean less wind, more sun, a cold start and a milder afternoon, similar to Tuesday.

TODAY: Sunny. Highs 52-59. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Clear. Lows 32-39. Wind W up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 57-64, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes developing.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows 40-47. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with rain showers likely through midday. Breaking clouds late-day. Highs 56-63. Wind S 5-15 MPH, shifting to W by late-day.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W to NW 10-20 MPH.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Highs 48-55. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind N under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind N to variable up to 10 MPH with coastal sea breezes developing.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 27 – MAY 1)

Fair weather to start the April 27-28 weekend as the next trough doesn’t approach / arrive until April 28, and even then its timing may be slow enough that we get through the weekend without much wet weather threat. Changeable / unsettled as a trough and a couple surface lows / frontal systems will be in the area during the April 29 through May 1 period. Confidence is not high enough to forecast this in detail this far in advance.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 2-6)

Overall pattern looks dry. Trends milder earlier period, cooler later period.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 21-25)

We’ll be in a cool weather pattern during the coming several days. Yesterday’s mild interlude had to be enjoyed with some wet weather to start, and some additional scattered showers for some areas late in the day. Last night though, behind a secondary front/trough, if you were outside you could feel the cool air’s arrival and even hear some gusty wind if inside. That breeze will settle a bit today but not enough to prevent making it feel chillier than the upper 50s it will climb to. We’ll also have a shield of high cloudiness cover a good portion of our sky, spreading in this morning and hanging around until evening, but it may provide the opportunity for a colorful sunset, so watch for that. Also, some fair-weather clouds will pop up underneath the higher cloud deck but those will dissipate later in the day. Tonight, with a clearing sky and the wind dropping off, look for a chill, with some frost potential away from the immediate coast and outside urban centers. If you have sensitive plants outside already, take steps to protect them. This will probably be repeated Monday night as well. High pressure will bring fair weather Monday and Tuesday, with Tuesday being the milder of those 2 days. A trough and frontal system brings our only rain chance during the next 5 days, on Wednesday. Thursday will see the return of dry weather, but we’ll have to deal with a shot of very cool air, gusty wind, and at least a 50/50 sun/cloud mix, if not more clouds than that due to a cold pool of air aloft crossing the region.

TODAY: Limited sun. Highs 55-62. Wind W 10-20 MPH, gusts to 25 MPH.

TONIGHT: Clearing. Lows 33-40. Wind W diminishing to under 10 MPH.

MONDAY: Abundant sun. Highs 55-62. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 33-40. Wind W under 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 58-65. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouds arrive. Lows 45-52. Wind S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Midday and afternoon rain showers likely. Highs 56-63. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy evening with rain showers ending. Breaking clouds overnight. Lows 40-47. Wind shifting to W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

THURSDAY: Lots of clouds / intervals of sun. Highs 48-55. Wind shifting to NW and increasing to 15-25 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 26-30)

As we head down the home stretch of April to the finish of the month, we’ll see some changeable weather, as is typical for this time of year. Looking for fair weather April 26, more tranquil than the day before, but a cold start. Previously I’d been looking at the potential for unsettled weather on the weekend of April 27-28 and that potential is still there, but it may be held back somewhat by a blocking pattern again, and this same pattern probably eliminates that previously-mentioned potential much warmer interlude near the end of the month, which now looks quite a bit cooler to me. Forecasting spring weather in the Northeast – yes it’s harder than any other season – but I’ll continue to monitor the trends here for month’s end.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 1-5)

Early May’s pattern looks changeable, unsettled at times, but not too wet in comparison to recent weather. Confidence is not high here though, with the lower confidence already in place before we even get to day 10 (see previous section). Much fine-tuning of the early May outlook in the days ahead.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 20-24)

A slow-moving cold front delivers showers to our region for a good portion of today, with central MA and southwestern NH already having seen the steadiest, while during mid to late morning the most widespread showers will run from RI through eastern MA to the southeastern NH, and as we head through late morning and midday this area will shift through southeastern MA before exiting via Cape Cod by about 2:00 p.m. Meanwhile, a trough of low pressure will approach and swing through the area later this afternoon and early evening, and this can set off some additional rain showers. Between that, a sliver of sunshine can visit many locations, but overall clouds are going to be dominant. If later in the day the showers with the trough have enough clear breaks between them or a clear slot behind them, we may see the appearance of rainbows as the sun lowers in the west. So “rainbow chasers” can keep an eye out for that. Tonight we dry out thoroughly, and this fair weather will then be with us for the balance of the weekend, for a much nicer Sunday, but we’ll have to deal with a gusty breeze, and the popping up of some fair weather clouds, typical of springtime in New England. There will also be a shield of high clouds that spreads across at least a portion of the sky during the day, from low pressure passing to our south. I don’t expect this cloud shield to completely blot out the sun, but will filter to dim it, more so as you head south, but the position of the cloud deck later in the day may set up a colorful sunset for at least a portion of our region. High pressure brings fair weather Monday and Tuesday. Monday will be the cooler of the 2 days as far as high temperatures, but Tuesday can see a very large temperature diurnal (difference between morning low and afternoon high) when a very chilly Monday night / Tuesday morning is followed by the a significant warm up during the day. With very low dew points, any top soil moisture quickly evaporates out, and with our region largely still ahead of leaf-out, this will mean the fire danger will increase notably early in the week. And with an active breeze at times, any fires that do start can spread easily. The next trough and frontal system will arrive Wednesday from the west with unsettled weather.

TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Widespread rain showers spread eastward then end late morning / early afternoon. Additional scattered rain showers later on. Highs 57-64. Wind S up to 10 MPH early, SW 5-15 MPH midday on.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 42-49. Wind SW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts, shifting to W.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny morning. Partly sunny afternoon. Highs 56-63. Wind W 10-20 MPH, gusts around 25 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy evening. Mostly clear overnight. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62. Wind WNW 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 33-40. Wind W under 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 61-68. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clouds arrive. Lows 45-52. Wind S up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Midday and afternoon rain showers likely. Highs 56-63. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 25-29)

Behind a front with upper level low pressure still moving through, April 25 can have a lot of clouds and maybe a passing shower of rain/graupel, with chilly air and gusty wind. Fair, more tranquil weather follows for April 26 but may start quite cold. April 27-28 weekend is vulnerable to unsettled weather as we transition to what can be a warm but fair end to the period on April 29.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 30 – MAY 4)

Frontal boundary may be nearby around the April 30 / May 1 time frame with unsettled weather, followed by somewhat drier weather and variable temperatures.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 19-23)

A trough has to cross the region during the next couple days, and that means lots of clouds today. A cold front swings through tonight and Saturday morning with rain showers, and a secondary trough comes through late Saturday with an additional rain shower possible but mainly to the west. We’ll stay in a northwesterly air flow through Sunday but with fair weather that day – another trough will pass by to the north with no impact other than some scattered clouds. High pressure builds in with fair weather early next week – Monday being the cooler day with a Tuesday warm-up.

TODAY: Mostly cloudy. Highs 55-62, coolest coast. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers mainly overnight. Lows 47-54. Wind S 5-15 MPH.

SATURDAY: Cloudy with rain showers morning, mainly southeastern NH through eastern MA and RI. Partly sunny afternoon but a late-day shower possible mainly central MA and southwestern NH. Highs 58-65. Wind W 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 42-49. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 56-63. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62. Wind WNW 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 61-68. Wind WSW 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 24-28)

Trough / frontal system April 24 brings the chance of rain showers. Generally fair April 25-26. Unsettled weather potential April 27-28 weekend. Temperatures variable, averaging close to normal.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 29 – MAY 3)

Mostly dry pattern end April / start May, maybe brief interruption around mid period with a passing trough and frontal system. Variable temperatures, no major extremes expected.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 18-22)

Low pressure moves into the Great Lakes today and its warm front to our south spawns a new low pressure area, but a ridge of high pressure holding on to the east will block it from moving completely across our region, with a blanket of clouds and some areas of light rain being about the worst we see. Clouds hang on during Friday as the new low gets pushed away to the south. Upper level low pressure will finally move eastward across the Northeast later Friday into the weekend, with the old surface low dragging a cold front and secondary trough through our region between Friday night and Saturday afternoon. This will be good for a few rain showers, then we’ll clear out for the most part for the second half of the upcoming weekend. Another low pressure system to our south will spread more clouds into the area on Monday, but right now I expect any rain from that system to stay well to the south.

TODAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain favoring Boston area west and south. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Lows 41-48. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Highs 54-61 coast, 61-68 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S-SW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sun/cloud mix. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 58-65. Wind W-NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 42-49. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 38-45. Wind W 5-15 MPH.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Highs 48-55. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 23-27)

Fair April 23. Rain potential April 24 with a trough and front moving through. Fair April 25. Unsettled weather potential April 26-27 weekend.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 28 – MAY 2)

Mostly dry pattern end April / start May, maybe brief interruption around mid period with a passing trough and frontal system. Variable temperatures, no major extremes expected.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 17-21)

High pressure has enough influence today to give us another fairly nice day. It’ll stay dry though we will see an increase in high cloudiness with time, so that by sunset the western sky should be rather grey with the sun blotted out. We’ll be a touch cooler than yesterday with a wind flow becoming more easterly with time, but not strong. Still, this means the most noticeable chill in the air will occur along the coast, especially east-facing shorelines. Spring in New England! Low pressure moving our way is going to be thwarted by a block in the atmosphere, which in our region is a stubborn ridge of high pressure and drier air. Low pressure tracks into the Great Lakes on Thursday and its warm front to our south will see a new low form on it, but with the dry air in place, the moisture from these lows and frontal system will struggle to move in, with just some possible light rain at times during Thursday, especially west and south of Boston, before the system loses the battle and gets pushed off to the south. I’m still liking the idea of a stronger high pressure bubble giving us a nicer day Friday, but whether we see real clearing or keep lots of clouds is going to depend on its position and resultant air flow over our region. Either way, a cold front will finally swing eastward and through the region as the block weakens by early Saturday. Most of the rain showers with this system will occur before dawn Saturday, and during the day we will see some additional clouds and possibly a passing shower with a secondary trough, leading to dry weather on Sunday.

TODAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

TONIGHT: Cloudy. Lows 47-54. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain favoring Boston area west and south. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clouds thin out. Lows 41-48. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 54-61 coast, 61-68 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S-SW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sun/cloud mix. An additional passing rain shower possible. Highs 58-65. Wind W-NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 42-49. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, higher gusts.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-62. Wind NW 10-20 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 22-26)

April 22-24 is a period of time vulnerable to low pressure from the south while cool high pressure sits to our north. Leaning toward the middle of next week (April 24) for greatest wet weather threat. Fair, cool weather to follow this, which may include quite a bit of wind for a while.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 27 – MAY 1)

Overall pattern looks fairly dry but may have upper low pressure around with rain and even mix/snow showers in higher elevations to start the period. A moderating trend should follow this.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 16-20)

We’ve passed the mid-point of April and as we head through the second half of the month, the story of the weather pattern is about to be examined in three parts. This section of the blog looks at the first 5 days of it. The story upcoming is going to be typical of spring, with changeable temperatures, but a less typical precipitation regime compared to what we’ve been seeing, and that is a pattern that produces less, not more. High pressure over eastern Canada extends southward into the Northeast into midweek. Today, we’ll be on the eastern side of its axis, with a continued northwesterly air flow of dry but fairly mild weather, as the air mass in place is not that chilly. However as the axis shifts eastward, the general air flow, while weaker, will be able to turn more northeast to east Wednesday and Thursday, while at the same time we’ll see an increase in cloud cover from approaching low pressure. This will turn our region a little cooler. The aforementioned low is going to be one that struggles to “move in” with the current set-up, with a primary low curling back through the Great Lakes. Much like the last system, a frontal boundary to our south would move up this way if we had less blocking in place, but the low pressure area that forms on it is going to be shunted further south and away from our region as we head from mid to late week. How it plays out here is that our cloud cover will likely be thickest on Wednesday night and Thursday when we also have our greatest chance of wet weather – basically a limited and dissipating rain shield that favors bringing some light rainfall to areas mostly Boston west and south. By Friday this is pushed far enough south and a little break-off area of high pressure can get far enough south, axis to our east, that we have a fair, milder day, assuming this evolves quickly enough. After that, things start moving more west to east again and a low pressure area passing north of our region in eastern Canada will drag a cold front through here on Friday night or early Saturday, with a round of rain showers, then fair but cooler weather arriving early in the weekend.

TODAY: Clouds over Nantucket early morning otherwise plenty of sunshine. Highs 63-70. Wind NW 5-15 MPH, gusts 20-25 MPH possible.

TONIGHT: Clear except some fog patches possible interior lower elevations. Lows 42-49. Wind N diminishing to under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Lows 47-54. Wind NE up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of light rain favoring Boston area west and south. Highs 50-57, coolest coast. Wind E up to 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clouds thin out. Lows 41-48. Wind variable under 10 MPH.

FRIDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 54-61 coast, 61-68 inland. Wind SE-S up to 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Lows 47-54. Wind S-SW 10-20 MPH.

SATURDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs 55-62. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 21-25)

On to the middle third of the last half of April 2024. While we start and end the period with fair weather, the April 22-24 time window can be vulnerable to unsettled weather from a couple low pressure areas passing by to our south, if they come far enough to the north. Keeping an eye on that potential.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 26-30)

The last several days of April 2024 present what looks like a generally dry pattern, northwesterly air flow with a cool start and a milder finish.

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 15-19)

Three nice days together? Yes. This is going to be true. Today finishes up a holiday weekend for many people, and it’s a traditionally big spring day for our area with Patriots Day activities, the Boston Marathon, and the Red Sox hosting a late morning first pitch. And unless you are a marathon runner who likes it cooler than the 60s, it’s going to be a pretty perfect April day as high pressure builds in with fair, milder weather. Just watch for muddy pathways on unpaved surfaces if you’re trekking about outside, due to abundant rainfall in recent weeks. High pressure holds control through Tuesday, except a cooler center in eastern Canada will start to take over, and this will keep the next round of unsettled weather at bay through most of Wednesday, when we’ll just see an increase in cloudiness ahead of the next system. The wet weather threat from that holds off until Wednesday night or Thursday as a warm front approaches and a wave of low pressure forms on it, but the large scale pattern may hold this system far enough south that we never really even get into any appreciable rainfall from it. And this leads to a Friday forecast uncertainty – does the low, or its remains, drift back to the north as the pattern shifts a bit, or does it just keep on getting pushed away. As of today I’m opting for the former scenario, but this is far from certain, so check future updates.

TODAY: Clouds exit RI & southeastern MA early. Patchy clouds with plenty of sun otherwise. Highs 63-70, warmest interior valleys, and cooler Cape Cod. Wind W 5-15 MPH, higher gusts this afternoon.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows 45-52. Wind W up to 10 MPH.

TUESDAY: Sunny. Highs 58-65, coolest coast. Wind shifting to N then NE 5-15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear. Lows 43-50. Wind NE under 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT / THURSDAY: Cloudy. Chance of drizzle favoring eastern coastal areas. Chance of rain favoring southern coastal areas. Temperatures fall to 48-55 then hold nearly steady. Wind E 5-15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY: Cloudy. Chance of rain showers and drizzle. Lows 48-55. Highs 55-62. Wind E becoming variable 5-15 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 20-24)

Cold front swings through April 20 with rain showers at some point that day. Fair, cool, breezy weather expected as Canadian high pressure slides through the Great Lakes April 21. The April 22-24 period leaves us cool but also vulnerable to low pressure to our south that we’ll have to keep an eye on for potential impact.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 25-29)

The pattern heading down April’s home stretch looks cool to start, milder to finish, and trends drier.