Monday Forecast

87 Comments

8:17AM

DAYS 1-5 (APRIL 16-20)
Well the question of whether or not the Red Sox game on Patriots Day would be postponed for only the 5th time was answered yesterday, and that answer was yes, making 2018 join 1959, 1961, 1965, and 1984 as the only years the Marathon Monday baseball game was put off. The marathon on the other hand, well it would take a foot of snow or extremely severe weather to cause a postponement of that event, and since neither of those are very likely in mid April, despite our tendency to have some miserable weather at this time of year, it’s a good time to hold a rain or shine outdoor event. This year, it will be all about the rain and not at all about the shine, at least in terms of the sun. Hopefully all the participants will shine in their own way, from the elite competitors to those just joining in to see how far they can go and not worry about how long it takes them to get there. So while these participants battle themselves and in some cases other competitors, they will be battling the elements as well, in terms of cold, damp, wind, and wet weather. But keep in mind, many of them have trained long hours in equally harsh or even more harsh conditions in the weeks and months leading to this event, and they are not about to let a very unpleasant April day get in the way of their ultimate goal. When it comes down to it, today’s nasty weather will be more of a challenge for spectators than it will be for participants. I wish them all the best. So, the elements. We’ve talked about the weather system bringing this to the region, and now it’s time to watch it play out. The cold air hangs on, but temperatures in most locations by the early morning will be above freezing, erasing the late season icing and sleet that was deposited in the hours prior. It will take a little longer to accomplish this in portions of north central MA and southwestern NH where it stayed colder longer, and up to an inch of so of sleet accumulated, along with additional ice accretion. But with the warm air still hanging to the south of the region and riding up over the cold air at the ground we will continue to see plenty of drizzle and periods of rain. As we reach midday and afternoon, the warm air will continue to try getting in while at the same time, low pressure is approaching and pushing a cold front toward the region from the west southwest, lifting that warm air and resulting in a few bands of heavier showers, even possible thunderstorms, that will have to sweep through the region through evening. The timing of these should allow the elite runners to have finished their race, but for those still out on the course they will need to battle through this added element, along with the already chilly and damp conditions, which will include a moderate head wind to cross wind from the east to southeast. In short, this will be one of the harder races to run in, weather-wise, aside from some of the hotter days that have occurred in years gone by. Once all of this is through, we will have to deal with an upper level low pressure area crossing the region from west to east Tuesday, bringing the risk of additional rain showers, especially during the afternoon. At night, it may be cold enough for any additional showers to be in the form of mixed precipitation or snow which could briefly coat things. It’s along shot, but cannot rule it out. Once we get to Wednesday, it’s a quick nice day with high pressure in control before the next low pressure area brings unsettled weather in the form of rain Thursday and leftover rain showers Friday, although the air may be cold enough for some mix with snow in higher elevations well northwest of Boston late Thursday and for a few snow showers to be involved on Friday. Forecast details…
TODAY: Overcast with drizzle and periods of rain. Waves of heavier rain showers moving through from southwest to northeast during the afternoon including the chance of thunderstorms. Highs 42-47 southern NH and northern MA, 48-55 elsewhere, occurring late in the day. Wind E to SE 10-20 MPH with higher gusts.
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Areas of fog. Risk of a rain shower early. Temperatures generally steady 42-47. Wind S 5-15 MPH shifting to SW.
TUESDAY: Variably cloudy. Scattered rain showers. Highs 48-55. Wind SW 10-20 MPH.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain and/or snow showers. Lows 32-39. Wind W 10-20 MPH.
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs 48-55. Wind WNW 10-20 MPH.
THURSDAY: Cloudy with periods of rain, may mix with snow far northwest of Boston at night. Lows from the upper 30s to lower 40s. Highs from the upper 40s to middle 50s.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain/mix showers. Lows from the upper 30s to lower 40s. Highs from the middle 40s to lower 50s.

DAYS 6-10 (APRIL 21-25)
High pressure builds in and should give the region fair weather for the April 21-22 weekend. Low pressure to the southwest and south should move up into the region with a chance of rain by April 24 with fair weather returning at the end of the period. Temperatures near to below normal.

DAYS 11-15 (APRIL 26-30)
Some changeable weather at the end of the month as the pattern tries to amplify further, slowing weather systems down. One or 2 sneaky warm days are possible in here but this would not be the start of long-term warming quite yet as Canada remains fairly chilly for some time to come.

87 thoughts on “Monday Forecast”

  2. I love listening to and watching the Boston Marathon coverage on WBZ TV but it would be AWESOME if they could get through one sentence without referencing the weather. 😛

    We’ve had PLENTY of days in the spring like this. It just so happens that this particular one coincides with Patriots Day / Boston Marathon. So be it. The runners don’t care. They trained all winter, many of them in worse conditions! And if not, they’ll adapt. It’s what happens. So far not one interviewed competitor has complained about the weather. They’ve expressed how happy they are to be there. 🙂

  3. This morning I measured two inches of, to use the technical terminology, Generic Load Of Precipitation (GLOP) in Lunenburg. The plows were out all night.

    1. GLOP!

      There was most certainly an under-estimation of accumulation out there. Hard enough forecasting in-season events. 😉

  4. Thanks TK
    Woke up to an accumulation of sleet on the grass, roofs, and cars. It started sleeting here just after 8pm last night. It is now just plain rain.

  5. Am I ever glad they FINALLY removed the controlled start for the wheelchair races! One crash in the mid 1980s and all of a sudden this silly control was in place for decades. The racers hated it.

  6. When it was done we had a brief icing up of cold cars though the pavement stayed just set, although there was a partial coating of sleet on everything for a while last evening, but by the wee hours it had gone to the mid 30s and melted off rather quickly here.

  7. Thanks TK. Icy up here as well. Delayed opening for classes at Plymouth State, and we’re still a little below freezing.

  8. I have to admit…back in the day when I worked downtown and never had today off…never liked the marathon. I swear every local runner waited until 5pm (when people are leaving their jobs) and crowded the express buses out of the city. I remember the buses being pack full of people with silver drapes on. Big problems right? HA.

    Not a problem now as I don’t work their anymore. 🙂

    1. I was always fascinated by that and the fact I live just a few miles from that location.

      1. I have also always been fascinated. Mac and I lived in Lexington our first year of marriage. And of course Belmont is its neighbor also. We often attended the re-enactments in both towns

        On patriots day 1976 I was lucky enough (totally by accident) to be having dinner at the wayside inn, Sudbury. It was full of those participating in the march from Sudbury. The fife and drum corps walked through the inn. It was goosebump thrilling.

    2. I need to remember to appreciate this more. Having grown up in Concord the Patriots Day parade, bridge re-enactment and seeing Minutemen “here and there around the square” become just part of my normal every day. But reading these comments makes me realize it was quite extraordinary to grow up in a town so richly steeped in history – maybe time to go back and say hi to Nan Turnquist again! (That would be the woman who runs the Orchard House.). One of my neighbors in my office and a friend I grew up near is the great grandson of Anna Pratt – who was Louisa May Alcott’s sister – “Meg” in Little Women. Life in a small New England town!

  12. It is one heck of a cold rain. The runners do not care, I know. But it will be difficult. It may also keep spectators home and they are such an important part of keeping the runners morale up. I have a friend who works mile 14 every year with his wife. It will be difficult for the workers also.

  13. Yesterday Logan recorded a record max low high temp of 39F. The old record was 40F set in 1881.

    Also Logan yesterday received a trace of snow. Still that elusive 0.1 inch remains. 😉

    Snowfall to date = 59.9″

  16. TK Could that possibly translate into a May 9, 1977 snowfall for parts of the region if we get some moisture?

    1. A couple days of anomalous warmth are very possible as we start to transition out of this pattern. Whether it will be right on those days remains to be seen.

  20. I just listened to a runner from I believe Michigan. Tk, you are so correct that bz keeps trying to get the runners to complain about weather. This mans wife is running. He said they train in weather worse than this so it is just another day in paradise. So many could learn some valuable lessons from these talented and dedicated athletes.

        1. And ON TOP OF THAT she slowed down to wait for S.F. during the potty break. I love it!

          1. I have goosebumps as I watch. I did see she slowed. The sportsmanship …the focus….all of it…what an inspiration these runners are

  21. I think that’s the first time I saw one of the lead runners take a porto potty break. 😉 And her fellow countrywoman waited for her so they could run together. Classic!

    1. I was wondering if I had seen it before.

      They did mention a male runner in the past grabbing the wrong water bottle and turning it around to return it. I missed part of that discussion.

      1. I remember the bottle incident but I forget who that was. I’m sure there have been plenty of potty breaks but that’s the first time I saw 2 of the favorites involved in it, and also the move on camera.

    1. I had seen that. At one point today he said today is the best conditions he’s run in

      There are so many inspirational stories wrapped up in this marathon. I wish they’d focus on sharing those rather than the weather.

  26. This has to be one of the funniest and best criticism of the weather I’ve seen. Got a laugh from me

    I don’t care if Caitlyn Jenner identifies as a woman, but April identifying as January is crossing the line.

  27. Please tell me I did not hear that reporter on Ch 4 say what she just said while interviewing passing runners…

    “We got someone from Australia! That poor woman! She’s used to perfect weather!”

    Because we all know that the weather in Australia is always “perfect”, whatever that means.

    2. Oh you heard it. These guys are driving me nuts. One had the audacity to say weather wise these runners are facing extreme adversity. Sooooo many are facing personal adversity that supersedes anything weather can dish out. Another announcer asked a member of the military how difficult out it is to run in the rain…..a member of the military. I am turning sound off and just going to watch.

  28. Quiz.

    1) Which one was NOT a factor in any previous Boston Marathon?
    A. Record high temps
    B. Record flooding
    C. A volcanic eruption
    D. Snow squalls

    Answer later today.

    1. Hmmmm – I will go with B…or maybe D……decisions decisions. I’m thrown by the meaning of “factor”

      I’ll say B, Longshot. That is my final answer 🙂

  29. Fisher looked great, though just a bit wet & chilled. He had the classic “can hardly move my lips” thing going on during his interview, but otherwise he looked like he could run a few more miles. Those are a couple athletic meteorologists there, Fisher & Burbank.

  31. 13 tornadoes hit middle Tennessee on this date in 1998, including an F2 that went right across downtown Nashville, one of the few times that a tornado has hit a major metropolitan area. An F5 storm was one of the 13, only the second F5 to hit Tennessee in recorded history.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59m5zpEKNjk

  34. Mark I am sure you had sleet up your way. Nice to see some sunshine after waking up to the sleet and then pouring rain.

    1. Yes, I had 0.75″ of sleet last night. It was pelting down very hard. I was out driving in it as well and the roads were terrible. We went to dinner in Glastonbury and it was snizzling when we went in but by the time we came out it was pounding sleet, everything was covered and the roads were a mess. Passed one spin out on Rte 2 and another on 84 in East Hartford. Perhaps the worst driving conditions of the winter. There is nothing harder to drive in than sleet/ice. Unreal for mid April!

  35. I agree with you driving in sleet/ice is hard. I ended up driving in wind driven sleet in January 2017 where when I left work it was wind driven rain and got closer to home it was wind driven sleet. This is certainly you don’t expect to be seeing or driving in in mid April. It will be nice to actually see a Yankees game tonight that won’t be postponed due to weather. Hopefully Stanton and the bullpen which was suppose to be strong will improve.

    2. It’s still very early. They will correct things and getting over some of their injuries will help as well. The Red Sox wont keep up the pace they have been on either.

    3. Six MLB games were postponed yesterday and three were PPDed today, including the Blue Jays after ice fell from the CN Tower through the Rogers Centre roof!
      NASCAR’s race from Bristol, Tennessee was rained out yesterday during the middle of the race and had to be finished today.

  36. Blackstone to answer your question yes I am a Yankees fan.
    Mark I agree the Red Sox won’t keep this pace up just like the other teams who have started out hot the Mets, Angels, and Diamondbacks. You can sustain that pace for 162 games. Stanton and Sanchez for the Yankees are not going to be hitting like this all season. Right now they need to sweep this two game set at home against Miami and take advantage of the soft part of the schedule. After this Toronto comes to town followed by the Twins although Yankees have handled the Twins the last several years then a road trip to Angels and Astros.

  37. Solidifies my belief that Connecticut is full of Yankee fans and should be kicked out of New England and ceded to NY.
    Even New England Toyota commercials that are airing now leaves out Connecticut.
    Bwhahahaha

    1. JJ has always made it clear he’s a Yankees fan. For the record my brother and his family live in CT and they are Boston sports fans. It’s mixed down there, but the closer you get to NYC obviously the majority are going to be NY sports fans. 😉 It’s all good.

      Even better yet, one of my best friends is a diehard Sox and Pats fan and she married a diehard Yankees and Giants fan. Or I should say, he used to be a Yankees fan. He converted. And he’s on his way with the Pats too. 😉

    2. For the record ted Williams thought highly of the Yankees. Glad we didn’t kick him out of boston

  38. Actually there was a poll a couple years ago done by Quinnpiac University and found 44% Yankees and 36% Red Sox. The Red Sox dominate Hartford Tolland and Windham counties while the Yankees dominate Fairfield and New Haven counties.

  39. I’d live in south county RI if it weren’t so far to Boston. Not as much snow, more temperate climate, and we go to Providence more than Boston anyway. We fly out of TF Green, go to Providence Mall, and go out to eat in PVD.

    2. Providence is a foodie city. One of the best in the world for its size. My son lives there when married. He is heading back to part of RI next month.

  40. Growing up in Upstate NY, I have always been a Yankees fan. I agree with JJ and TK though, unless you are in Fairfield County, CT is not a Yankees state. I am in the vast minority here at my office in Manchester. Mostly Sox fans here in northern/eastern CT

      1. Yes, I think you said he was over near Case Mtn? Right up the road from here. I’ve probably unknowingly seen him a few times at Highland Park Market!

  41. Quiz answer.

    1) Which one was NOT a factor in any previous Boston Marathon?

    A. Record high temps
    B. Record flooding
    C. A volcanic eruption
    D. Snow squalls

    The correct answer is B.

    1. Not too surprised to hear that after seeing how strong the winds were to blow those semi-trailers over in a much lower elevation like Franconia Notch.

  44. Bruins are gonna need everything they’ve got to get out of this series. I think they pull it off, but the series running to 7 games would not be a surprise. It’s a great matchup.

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