Weekend Outlook

Thanksgiving Weekend Outlook: November 28 – December 2, 2024

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Turkey Day is looking wet, but after that things will turn colder around here.

Below normal temperatures are expected through the holiday weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com.

Low pressure will move out of the Tennessee Valley tonight and head towards Southern New England, passing near or just south of the South Coast on Thanksgiving Day. For most of us, we’ll see rain developing around daybreak, and ending in the evening, but across the hills from Worcester County into the Monadnocks of southwestern New Hampshire, some snow is likely, with a few inches possible. Across the rest of southern New Hampshire, we may see the rain start as snow in the morning, but it should quickly change to rain, with little to no accumulation. Farther north, especially north of Concord, NH, a few inches may accumulate, before a change to rain occurs. The system starts to pull away Thursday evening, with the rain ending before midnight, though we could see some flakes mix in as the rain winds down.

Any accumulating snow should stay well north and west of Boston on Thursday. Image provided by WeatherBell.

As the storm moves into Atlantic Canada, we’ll clear out for Friday with breezy and colder conditions. A few stray rain or snow showers are possible, especially across Cape Cod where the winds blowing over the still relatively mild water may generate some ocean-effect showers. Another weak disturbance moves through Friday night with just a few flurries, then even colder air settles in for the weekend and Monday. With an upper-level low over the Northeast and disturbances rotating around it, we could see a few widely scattered flurries or snow showers each day.

Wind chills will be in the teens Sunday morning. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Wednesday night: Becoming cloudy, rain may develop towards daybreak, mixed with snow well north and west of Boston. Low 29-36, temperatures may start to rise after midnight.

Thursday: Periods of rain, mixed with snow in the morning, especially from the hills of Worcester County into southern New Hampshire, becoming breezy along the coast. High 39-46 north and west of I-95 47-54 south and east of I-95.

Thursday night: Rain ending before midnight, possibly mixed with some wet snow, some clearing late at night, breezy along the coast during the evening. Low 30-37.

Friday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 40-47.

Friday night: Clear to partly cloudy, chance for a few rain or snow showers across Cape Cod. Low 25-32.

Saturday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds, slight chance for a few flurries, especially across the Outer Cape, breezy, colder. High 37-44.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Low 22-29.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds, chance for a few flurries, breezy, chilly. High 35-42.

Sunday night: Clear skies. Low 20-27.

Monday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 34-41.

Weekend Outlook: November 22-25, 2024

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Much-needed rain has finally made its way to the region, and more is coming.

Much of the region could pick up an inch or more of rain by the end of the weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

After weeks without significant rainfall, we finally had some move in today as low pressure moved south of New England. An upper-level low pressure system will move out of the Great Lakes and into the Northeast, pulling that system into New York and Pennsylvania tonight, which means the steady rain this evening will taper off to showers overnight. The upper low then moves in for Friday, and while there could be some sunny breaks in the morning, for the most part we’ll have plenty of clouds with a few showers around. With some cold air aloft, there could be a few snowflakes mixed in, especially across the higher terrain of central Massachusetts and southwestern New Hampshire. A disturbance rotating around that upper-level low will trigger a new storm system south and east of New England, bringing rain and gusty winds back in for late Friday into early Saturday, mainly across eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If the precipitation shield can extend far enough west, the rain may change to snow across the hills of Worcester County and the Monadnocks of southern New Hampshire. That low pulls away on Saturday, but we’ll be slow to clear out, with a gusty northwest breeze keeping us on the cool side. High pressure builds in for Sunday with more sunshine, but there will still be some clouds around with the upper-level low nearby. Monday starts off with some sun, but then clouds start to move back in during the afternoon as another storm system heads this way from the Great Lakes. This will likely bring in more rain showers for Monday night and Tuesday.

Wind gusts of 30-40 mph are possible this weekend. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Thursday night: Rain tapers off to showers, ending overnight, some partial clearing possible late at night, breezy. Low 38-45.

Friday: Some sunshine in the morning, then clouds return with a few showers around, becoming a steadier rain late in the day across eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, possibly mixed with some wet snow across the higher terrain from central Massachusetts into southern New Hampshire. High 46-53.

Friday night: Periods of rain, mainly across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, possibly mixed with some wet snow across the higher terrain from central Massachusetts into southern New Hampshire. Low 34-41.

Saturday: Cloudy and breezy with showers (or wet snow) ending in the morning, though there could be a few more showers around in the afternoon. High 43-50.

Saturday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy. Low 35-42.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds, windy. High 44-51.

Sunday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 30-37.

Monday: Morning sun, clouds start to move back in during the afternoon. High 47-54.

Finally, since the hype train already left the station yesterday, we’ll address the possibility of a “White Thanksgiving”. Yes, a couple of models have occasionally shown the potential for a storm system next weekend. However, these models have been highly inconsistent at that range, and they vary widely on the track, strength, and timing of the potential system, and what, if any, impact it might have here. Anything from wind-swept rain to heavy snow, to a sunny but cool weekend is on tap. It’s just WAY too early to even speculate on what might happen a week from now. We’ll address it a little more in our Weekly Outlook early Monday, but even then, the details will probably still be a fuzzy. Bottom line: don’t worry about it, don’t go cancelling any Thanksgiving weekend plans, and stay tuned for further updates. If there is anything to worry about, we’ll let you know well in advance.

The models all have very different solutions for Thanksgiving Day. Images provided by Pivotal Weather,

Weekend Outlook: November 15-18, 2024

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After a few chilly days, a warmup is in store for the weekend.

Temperatures will be above normal again this weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

High pressure will keep us dry for the next few days, but that doesn’t mean it’s a simple forecast. A weak system passing well to our south and west tonight will spread some high clouds in, which will be just enough to keep us from getting as cold as last night. As that system pulls away on Friday, a bigger storm moving into Atlantic Canada will start to drift westward, sending more clouds our way during the afternoon, and these will be a little thicker, especially along the coast. However, we’ll also start to warm up as the airmass begins to moderate. The clouds start to move out on Saturday as upper-level high pressure builds in, with developing sunshine and milder temperatures. On Sunday, we flip things around with sunshine in the morning, then clouds start to move back in during the afternoon as a weak disturbance approaches from the west. It may produce a few widely scattered showers as it moves through on Monday, but this is far from the drought-buster that we desperately need.

The drought continues to worsen across the region. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low 24-31, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Friday: Becoming sunny in the morning, clouds start to move back in by late in the day. High 49-56.

Friday night: Partly cloudy. Low 35-42.

Saturday: Morning clouds, especially near the coast, then becoming sunny again, breezy. High 54-61.

Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 36-43.

Sunday: Sunny through the morning, clouds start to move back in during the afternoon. High 54-61.

Sunday night: Becoming mostly cloudy. Low 36-43.

Monday: Morning clouds, possibly a shower, some afternoon clearing. High 56-63.

Weekend Outlook: November 8-11, 2024

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Unseasonably warm weather is on the way out, but could there be some much-needed rain on the way?

Temperatures will be a little below normal around here on Saturday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

A cold front crossed the region earlier, bringing an end to the record warmth we had yesterday, but we’re still enjoying another mild day today with high pressure building in. Tomorrow looks to be another mild day, but another cold front is on its way. This one moves through late in the day with just some clouds and little to no rainfall, but even cooler air settles in behind this front. High pressure builds in for Saturday with temperatures that are closer to where we should be in early November, maybe even a little below normal, despite lots of sunshine. Clouds come streaming back in on Sunday as low pressure heads into the Great Lakes, sending a warm front our way. This front may produce some showers Sunday evening and night as it moves through. We’re not expecting a lot of rainfall with these showers, but as the drought continues to worsen and fire danger remains high, we need every drop we can get. Behind the front, milder air moves in for Monday, but it will be short-lived as the cold front moves through in the afternoon, with skies starting to clear out behind it by late in the day.

It’s not a drought-buster, but the models all agree on a little rain around here Sunday night. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Thursday night: Clear skies. Low 38-45.

Friday: Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds, breezy. High 57-64.

Friday night: Evening clouds, then becoming clear, breezy. Low 33-40.

Saturday: Plenty of sunshine, breezy, and cooler. High 46-53.

Saturday night: Clear skies, some clouds may start to filter in toward daybreak. Low 27-34.

Sunday: Increasing and thickening clouds, showers may develop may evening. High 52-59.

Sunday night: Cloudy with showers likely. Low 43-50 during the evening, temperatures may rise a little overnight.

Monday: Showers end early, some clearing in the afternoon. High 58-65.

Weekend Outlook: November 1-4, 2024

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There’s not much rain in the forecast, and that’s not good for the worsening drought.

Little rainfall is on the way to help with the drought. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Unseasonably warm weather continues across the region into Friday ahead of a strong cold front. We’ll see clouds start to move in tonight as the cold front gets closer, but it doesn’t have a lot of moisture to work with, so we’re only expecting a few widely scattered showers when the front moves through late Friday morning. We’ll quickly clear out behind the front in the afternoon, but the cooler air lags a bit behind the front, so we’ll have another warm day, with temperatures likely topping 70 in many areas once again. High pressure then builds in for the weekend with much cooler weather, with temperatures a little below normal for early November. Clouds will start to move back in Sunday night and Monday as another warm front heads our way. We’ll likely stay on the cool side during the day, with any showers likely holding off until evening or more likely overnight, but again, we’re not expecting drought-busting rain, just some widely scattered showers.

Average highs for early November are in the middle 50s. Image provided by weathermodels.com.

Don’t forget – Daylight Saving Time ends at 2am Sunday, so you’ll get an extra hour of sleep when we turn the clocks back one hour.

Clocks go back 1 hour at 2am on Sunday. Image provided by the Associated Press.

Thursday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy, slight chance for a few showers toward daybreak, winds start to pick up late at night. Low 57-64.

Friday: Cloudy and breezy with a few widely scattered showers in the morning, skies quickly clear out after midday. High 71-78, a little cooler across Cape Cod.

Friday night: Clear to partly cloudy with diminishing winds. Low 40-47.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, much cooler. High 51-58.

Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 30-37.

Sunday: Sunshine with some afternoon clouds. High 48-55.

Sunday night: Becoming mostly cloudy. Low 30-37.

Monday: Plenty of clouds, a few showers possible toward evening. High 47-54.

Weekend Outlook: October 25-28, 2024

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As we head into the final weekend of October, temperatures will return to near to below normal.

Average high temperatures for late October are in the upper 50s. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

A cold front continues to push offshore this evening and high pressure builds in with clearing skies and diminishing winds resulting in a cooler night than the past few. Friday should feature a good amount of sunshine and temperatures that are closer to where we should be in late October, but another cold front will be approaching from the west. Clouds will start to move in late in the day ahead of the front, then it should move through on Saturday morning. As has been the case for a while now, this front will not have much moisture to work with, so aside from a few widely scattered showers, most places will remain dry when the front moves through. We’ll clear out during the day on Saturday with breezy conditions as even cooler air settles into the region. High pressure builds in for both Sunday and Monday with sunshine returning, but temperatures that will be below normal, with most places likely not reaching 60 either day, and widespread frost and freezing temperatures are expected Sunday night, except for urban locations and parts of Cape Cod and the Islands.

Drought conditions continue to expand across the Northeast. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Thursday night: Becoming clear with diminishing winds. Low 38-45, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Friday: Plenty of sunshine, clouds start to filter in late in the day. High 55-62.

Friday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy, just a slight chance for a shower. Low 41-48.

Saturday: Morning clouds, then skies clear out in the afternoon, breezy. High 59-66.

Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 34-41, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Sunday: Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds, breezy, and cooler. High 49-56.

Sunday night: Clear to partly cloudy and chilly. Low 28-35, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Monday: Lots of sunshine, chilly. High 47-54.

Weekend Outlook: October 18 – 21, 2024

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A warmup is on the way for the weekend.

Temperatures could get well into the 70s on Monday. Image provided by WeatherBell.

For the most part, we’ve got a rather simple forecast for the next several days. An area of low pressure well south of New England will keep clouds in place across southeastern Massachusetts into Friday with some gusty northeast winds at times. Otherwise, high pressure will slide across the region and off to the east over the next several days, resulting in sunny days and clear night. Temperatures will warm back up to above normal levels over the weekend, with many places likely reaching or exceeding 70 as winds become more south to southwesterly. This pattern will likely continue into a good portion of next week as well.

Some models have no rain at all here through next weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Thursday night: Slow clearing across Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, clear skies elsewhere, breezy along the coast and across Cape Cod. Low 34-41, a little milder near the coast and urban areas.

Friday: Plenty of sunshine, a few clouds across Cape Cod, winds gradually subside. High 56-63, coolest along the coast.

Friday night: Clear skies. Low 36-43.

Saturday: Lots of sunshine. High 63-70, coolest across Cape Cod.

Saturday night: Clear. Low 38-45.

Sunday: Sunshine and a few clouds. High 66-73, coolest across Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Clear skies. Low 45-52.

Monday: More sunshine. High 70-77, coolest across Cape Cod.

Weekend/Tropical Outlook: October 4-7, 2024

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Changes are on the way as we head through the weekend. Meanwhile, the tropics remain active.

Drought conditions are beginning to develop across our area. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

High pressure remains in control into Friday with dry and mild conditions. A cold front will start to move our way on Friday, with clouds streaming in ahead of it in the afternoon. The front will produce a few showers late Friday night and early Saturday, then skies clear out in the afternoon behind the front. We’ll remain fairly mild behind the front on Saturday, but as high pressure slowly moves in, we’ll turn a little cooler on Sunday despite more sunshine. Clouds start to filter in later Sunday ahead of a stronger cold front. That front will bring in some rain late Sunday night and Monday, but its bigger impact will be even cooler weather moving in behind it for the middle part of next week.

Cooler than normal temperatures are expected across the region next week. Image provided by Weathermodels.com.

The Atlantic remains active with two named storms, though neither is expected to impact land over the next week or so. Hurricane Kirk is now a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph. It is centered about 1130 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands, moving toward the northwest at 10 mph. Kirk may strengthen a bit more, likely reaching Category 4 strength, but it will turn more toward the north and then northeast, crossing the open waters of the North Atlantic. It should start to weaken over the weekend, and become extratropical early next week. It could impact parts of western Europe with strong winds and heavy rain toward the middle to latter part of next week. We also have Tropical Storm Leslie, which has maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. Leslie is centered about 540 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, moving toward the west at 5 mph. Forecasts call for Leslie to steadily strengthen, likely becoming a hurricane in the next day or two. Leslie could become a rather potent storm by early next week, but it should be turning more toward the northwest, and will likely not impact any land areas.

Both Kirk and Leslie should remain over open water for the next several days. Image provided by the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, areas of patchy fog may develop. Low 47-54.

Friday: Some morning sun, then clouds increase and thicken up in the afternoon. High 67-74.

Friday night: Mostly cloudy with some showers developing, mostly after midnight. Low 52-59.

Saturday: Showers end in the morning, skies clear out in the afternoon. High 67-74.

Saturday night: Clear skies, cooler. Low 44-51.

Sunday: Lots of sunshine, clouds start to move in by late in the day. High 62-69.

Sunday night: Becoming mostly cloudy, showers develop after midnight. Low 46-53.

Monday: Showers gradually ending, some clearing possible late in the day. High 61-68.

Weekend/Tropical Outlook: September 27-30, 2024

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Once the rain ends, we’ve got some rather nice weather coming up for the weekend. Meanwhile, the tropics are getting active again with Major Hurricane Helene heading for the Florida Panhandle, Tropical Storm Isaac in the North Atlantic, and potentially another system this weekend.

Some much-needed rainfall is expected across the region tonight. Image provided by WeatherBell.

A cold front will cross the region tonight, taking the rain with it by morning as it moves offshore. High pressure will then build in, and remain in control through Monday, keeping us dry and mild, but don’t expect bright sunshine the entire time. We’ll have some slow clearing behind the front on Friday, especially near the South Coast and the Cape. After that, some high-level moisture from Hurricane Helene and its remnants (more on that in a minute) will stream up here. This will result in filtered sunshine for Saturday and likely part of Sunday too. We’ll also have northeast winds around the high pressure area to our north bringing in some clouds at times from the Atlantic. Monday will probably feature the most sunshine, but there will still be some clouds around.

The tropics are getting active again with both Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Isaac. Image provided by the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Hurricane Helene continues to strength as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. As of 4pm EDT, Helene was centered about 145 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving toward the north-northeast at 21 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 120 mph, making Helene at Category 3 Hurricane. Helene’s future is fairly simple at this point. It will continue north-northeastward, with a little more strengthening likely, then it will make landfall in the Florida Big Bend area tonight. This is a sparsely populated region of Florida, which is the only “good” news we have with this storm. A storm surge of 15-20 feet is likely near and to the right of where the center makes landfall. Helene is a very large storm, with tropical storm force winds up to 350 miles from the center of the storm. With this in mind, strong winds are likely well inland after landfall, likely into southern or central Georgia, with widespread wind damage expected.

Hurricane Helene is marching toward the Florida Big Bend. Loop provided by the College of DuPage.

The biggest threat will be heavy rain well inland. Much of the Southeast has already received 3-6 inches of rain in the past day or two from a frontal system, and Helene will add another 5-10 inches or more to that. While this region has been in a drought and needs rainfall, too much rainfall doesn’t help as much and creates widespread flooding. An upper-level low pressure system over the Mississippi Valley will capture the remains of Helene this weekend, slowing it down across the Tennessee Valley before it finally dissipates, bringing even more rain to this region as well.

Helene will produce heavy rain over a very large area over the next few days. Image provided by the National Hurricane Center.

Helene isn’t the only show in town though. We also have Tropical Storm Isaac, centered about 820 miles east-northeast of Bermuda as of 11am EDT, moving toward the east at 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph. Isaac is expected to steadily strengthen, and could become a hurricane this weekend. It should continue eastward or east-northeastward over the open waters of the North Atlantic, becoming extratropical early next week, at which point it could be heading towards Europe.

Tropical Storm Isaac is gradually organizing in the North Atlantic. Loop provided by NOAA.

But wait, there’s more! Another area of low pressure in the central Atlantic, several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands continues to get better organized this afternoon, and conditions are favorable for it to become a tropical depression later today or Friday. The system could become a tropical storm over the weekend, but should eventually turn more toward the north and head out into the open Atlantic without impacting any land areas for the next week or so.

The next system should head out to sea without impacting land. Loop provided by Tomer Burg.

Thursday night: Cloudy with rain gradually ending, some clearing late at night, mainly from the Merrimack Valley northward, some patchy fog may also develop. Low 54-61.

Friday: A few lingering showers early across Cape Cod and the South Coast, otherwise, skies become mostly sunny in the morning, then high clouds stream back in during the afternoon. High 69-76.

Friday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 51-58.

Saturday: Sunshine filtered through high clouds. High 66-73.

Saturday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 50-57.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 64-71.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Low 49-56.

Monday: Partly sunny. High 66-73.

Weekend Outlook: September 20-23, 2024

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Astronomical summer ends this weekend and so does our extended stretch of dry and warm weather.

Much cooler weather is expected for the weekend. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

In the big picture, the forecast for the next few days is fairly simple, but the details aren’t so simple. An area of low pressure will meander around south of New England for the next few days while high pressure remains in place to the north. In between the two, we’ll have increasing northeasterly winds, bringing cooler air into the region. The big question is in regards to the shield of rain around the low pressure system, and how far inland it penetrates. The computer models all have varying ideas on this, so they don’t provide a lot of help in this case, so we’re relying on past experience and gut feeling for the most part. The best chance for rain will obviously be closer to the system itself, which means Cape Cod, the Islands, and likely the South Coast and parts of southeastern Massachusetts. Farther north and west, chances decrease fairly rapidly, as dry air from the high pressure system will keep most of the moisture from reaching the ground. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that it remains dry, especially once you get north and west of Interstate 495, and possibly Interstate 95. For the areas where we do expect rain, it will rain off and on at times from now into part of Saturday. None of the days will be a washout, and there will be extended periods of dry weather, especially as you head farther inland, but there will be some episodes of steadier and potentially heavier rain, especially on Cape Cod.

The models don’t agree on how far inland the rain will penetrate. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

The system should start to pull away later Saturday, with gradual clearing on Sunday, which is the first day of Autumn. The Autumnal Equinox occurs at 8:43am Sunday, officially ending summer. While we should see some sunshine developing, temperatures will stay on the cool side, thanks to the northeast wind, with most of the region not getting out of the 60s. High pressure builds back in for Monday, with more dry and cool conditions.

Astronomical Fall begins with the Autumnal Equinox at 8:43am Sunday. Image provided by EarthSky.org

Thursday night: Mostly cloudy with showers likely, favoring areas south of Boston, breezy. Low 57-64.

Friday: Cloudy and breezy with occasional showers and some periods of steadier rain, especially south of Boston. High 63-70.

Friday night: Plenty of clouds with more showers, again, favoring areas south of Boston, still breezy. Low 54-61.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, a few more showers around, mostly in the morning, and again, mostly south of Boston, breezy near the coast. High 61-68.

Saturday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 50-57, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Sunday: Skies gradually become partly to mostly sunny, with the most sunshine north and west of Boston, breezy again. High 61-68.

Sunday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 46-53, a little milder across Cape Cod.

Monday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 62-69.