7:28AM

DAYS 1-5 (MAY 1-5)
May is here! Happy May Day! Yes I know that here in southeastern New England the first of May is dawning overcast, foggy in some areas, and very rainy across the region, and that we also have “the same” weather pattern in place we’ve had in place for quite some time now. But one can look at this picture in a gloom and doom way or can find many positives. Let’s take the positive route. “The same” pattern does not mean that every day is cloudy, cold, wet, etc. … It means that the overall pattern is wetter and cooler than the long term average. We certainly saw that as there were frequent cloudy and many wet days. Boston set a record for its lowest high temperature for the month, 62, breaking the old one by 4 degrees. And while Boston’s rainfall was not substantially above normal for April, some other southeastern New England locations saw a greater positive departure. However, the bright side is that the region as a whole had been running a 2 to 4 inch precipitation deficit for the first 3 months of 2020, and now we have made some of that up, while providing favorable moisture for agriculture without causing any flooding. A couple other bright notes: Our sun angle is now as high as it is in early August, so even when it’s not sunny, the higher angle and length of day makes up for some of that. It may not seem that way first thing this morning, but overall the difference is notable and noticeable. Also, we are just over 2 weeks away from the first sunset of 8:00 p.m. or later (May 16). There is even something to look forward to in the shorter term, i.e., this 5-day period, because after we get rid of this ribbon of rain this morning, it tapers to showers and while today won’t turn out to be a great weather day, even though clouds may break for sun in some areas before the day is over and the chance for additional showers will be there, we are seeing things move along rather briskly in the atmosphere and this has resulted in an improved forecast for Saturday over what I was advertising the last couple days. And while the faster movement of things means that Sunday is now actually the “worst” of the 2 weekend days, it will not be all that bad either, with just some cloudiness and perhaps a passing shower as a front moves through, but this will be a weak system and the overall day will be dominated by dry weather and very mild air (with the exception of the normal cooler spots depending on wind direction and coastal set-up). When we get to Monday and Tuesday, the front that goes by Sunday will be sitting just to the south and may carry some impulses of low pressure along it, so we may have to watch for that, with current thoughts on timing of best chance of cloudiness and any rain threat being earlier Monday and later Tuesday, but even going out beyond day 3 trying to time this type of a pattern is rather difficult, so the forecast for these 2 days can change in any direction between now and then.
TODAY: Overcast morning with areas of fog, widespread showers, some heavy, tapering off from southwest to northeast mid to late morning. Mostly cloudy with breaks of sun possible this afternoon but also scattered showers and a slight risk of a thunderstorm mid to late afternoon. Highs 50-55 South Coast, 55-60 elsewhere, occurring late-day. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH interior, 15-25 MPH coast, a few higher gusts likely, shifting to SW 10-20 MPH with a few higher gusts possible this afternoon.
TONIGHT: Variably cloudy. Risk of evening showers and a slight risk of thunder eastern areas early. Lows 46-53. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs 55-60 Cape Cod, 60-67 elsewhere. Wind NW 10-20 MPH, higher gusts at times.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Risk of rain showers overnight. Lows 50-57. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY: Variably cloudy. Risk of rain showers early. Highs 55-62 South Coast, 63-70 elsewhere. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Clouding over. Risk of rain favoring southern areas overnight. Lows 48-55. Wind N up to 10 MPH.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. Risk of rain favoring southern areas morning. Highs 56-63, coolest coast. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Lows 45-52. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. Risk of rain South Coast late. Highs 55-62. Wind variable up to 10 MPH.

DAYS 6-10 (MAY 6-10)
Cooler, dry May 6-8. Milder, risk of unsettled weather May 9-10.

DAYS 11-15 (MAY 11-15)
Cooler, dry to start period. Milder, risk of unsettled weather late period.