Friday, July 28, 2006

High Heat to End July '06


Not on the five day is today, Friday. Today is going to be hot and another oppressive day. Temperatures this morning are already in the mid and upper 70's. In fact Boston's Logan International Airport never made it below 76 degrees last night. Right now it is nearly half past seven and temperatures throughout SNE are in the 75-80 degree range with dewpoints in the 70-75 degree range. It is stifling.

The good news is that a cold front, in this case a drier air front, is coming towards the six state region from the NW from Canada. This will bump into our very unstable and volitile airmass overhead and trigger some heavy showers and thunderstorms, mainly this afternoon. However, looking at the radar, there is already a few scattered showers and thunderstorms around the area now, so anytime and anywhere is basically fair game today.

Before most of us get involved with the thunderstorms today, temperatures will easily rise another ten to fifteen degrees to get highs into the upper 80's to around 90. Yesterday Boston officially hit 91 degrees so if we do it again today it would be consecutive day number 2 and I believe 90 is a given for tomorrow's forecast.

Friday Thunderstorm Outlook

When: Anytime, but more likely after 11AM NW to 2PM Boston to 3-5PM Cape
Where: Everyone is fair game
Threat: Possibly severe...damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightning, torrential downpours
Rainfall: Generally 0.5" to 1" (Locally 2"+ in slow moving thunderstorms)

Will the Sox game get in tonight, 7:05PM against the LA Angels?

Right now I would say it will probably get in, possibly with a delay. I cannot be sure if a thunderstorm will be over Fenway at first pitch, but I would say that most of the action will have passed by Fenway Park by 7-8PM. My guess is there WILL be a game tonight.

I should also mention that the Patriots are starting up their summer camp down in Foxboro today. First practice is at 9AM and it should feel like south Florida as they get underway. Temperatures around that time in Foxboro should be about 81 degrees with a heat index more like 86. By 11AM temperatures should be around 88, barring a cooling thunderstorm, with a heat index around 95. If you are going down there to watch, which is a great thing, make sure you bring lots of water and stay as cool as you can.

5 DAY FORECAST BREAKDOWN

Tomorrow will be the hottest day of the next five with temperatures easily into the middle 90's. I would not at all be shocked to see a temperature of 97 in places like Nashua, NH or Hartford, CT. Boston will probably hover in the 94-96 degree range. It will be a different heat though. With a NW wind, all the humidity will be pushed out to sea, for now. Sunday will feature much cooler temperatures, generally in the mid 80's, but along the coast where a sea breeze may develop around noontime, temperatures will probably stay in the upper 70's to lower 80's, especially right on the beaches. Monday the heat will return as well as some humidity. Temperatures in the lower 90's likely with ample sun. Tuesday will be very hot once again. Temperatures back into the mid 90's. A shower or thunderstorm is possible for the evening, but that is dependent on a backdoor cold front from the NE. This front will determine the weather for Wednesday. If it stays north of us, expect highs back into the 90's, but if it passes by, expect temperatures in the mid 80's inland and 70's along the coast. We will have to watch this one. Either way it looks like it will be a decent day. Just remember these nice "complications" in the weather in January and February, 80's or 90's, because "complications" in the winter mean an inch of snow or does it come closer and give us 20"?

Anyway, stay cool today and stay in the AC. Today's thunderstorms may cause a Watch Box to go up for part of our area later today, so if it does, check just below the title where there is a banner that will tell you all the information you will need to know whats going on and where the watches and warnings are.

More on the forecast later.

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