Weekly Outlook: December 25, 2023 – January 1, 2024

Did you get a new knit hat and mittens for Christmas or Hanukkah? Perhaps a new winter coat? Well, you won’t need them much, if at all, during most of the final week of 2023.

Areas of dense fog reduced visibility to under half a mile in spots to start Christmas Day. Image provided by WeatherBell.

We’ve got some dense fog to start Christmas Day, but once it burns off this morning, skies will remain mostly cloudy for the balance of the day, but it will be on the mild side. The fog returns tonight, but Tuesday may see some sunny breaks develop once the fog burns off. Wednesday is where things start to get interesting. The low pressure system producing all sorts of nasty weather in the Plains and Upper Midwest will head into the Great Lakes, sending some showers in on Wednesday. At the same time, a second low pressure system will develop near the Carolina coast and head north-northeastward. This will bring some steadier rain in by late Wednesday, more likely Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the system pulls away. An upper-level low pressure will then move into the East Coast, and it may spawn a weak low at the surface on Friday, which could triggering a few rain or snow showers across the region. The upper-level low moves directly overhead on Saturday, resulting in some cooler conditions, plenty of clouds, and possible another snow shower or two. High pressure builds in with dry and cool conditions for New Year’s Eve. Another weak system may move in on New Year’s Day with some snow showers possible.

Some models show the potential for some heavy rainfall with the storm later Wednesday into Thursday. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Christmas Day: Dense fog early, then becoming partly to mostly sunny. High 46-53.

Monday night: Mostly cloudy, fog redevelops. Low 33-40.

Tuesday: More clouds than sunshine. High 46-53.

Tuesday night: Cloudy, chance for a shower or two late at night. Low 36-43.

Wednesday: Cloudy with a few showers, becoming a steady rain at night. High 47-54.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy and breezy, rain ending in the morning. High 47-54.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, chance for a few rain or snow showers. High 41-48.

Saturday: Partly sunny, breezy, chance for a few flurries. High 35-42.

New Year’s Eve: A mix of sun and clouds. High 34-41.

New Year’s Day: Partly sunny, breezy, chance for a snow shower. High 36-43.

Weekly Outlook: December 18-25, 2023

Wet n Wild was the name of a water park in Orlando that closed many years ago, but it also could describe our weather today.

Wet n Wild may be gone from Orlando, but it’ll be an apt description of our weather today. Image provided by Tripadvisor.

Low pressure will move up the Hudson Valley today, producing rain, some of it heavy during the morning, but it will taper off during the afternoon, ending during the evening. Many places could see 1-3 inches of rain, resulting in flooding in some areas. Luckily, it’s been dry for the past couple of months after a very wet summer, so river levels have dropped quite a bit, and many of them can handle this amount of rain. Rain isn’t the only threat with this storm though. Strong southeast to south winds are likely today, which could result in tree and power line damage. The strong winds may also result in some coastal flooding along south-facing coastlines. The gusty south winds will also bring unseasonably mild air in, with temperatures approaching or topping 60 by midday. Once the system passes our latitude, winds will shift into the west and southwest this afternoon. They won’t be as strong as in the morning, but will be quite gusty, and will bring a quick end to the mild air.

Wind gusts in excess of 50 mph are possible across much of the region today. Image provided by WeatherBell.

The system pulls away Monday night with the rain ending and winds rapidly diminishing, but an upper-level low moves into the Northeast on Tuesday. This will bring in more clouds, with a few showers popping up, possibly mixed with a little wet snow. High pressure then builds in for Wednesday through Friday with sunshine and seasonably cool temperatures. We do have to keep an eye on an ocean storm well to our east. Some of the models try to drift it close enough to bring in some clouds towards Thursday or Friday, or possibly even some showers, but right now, we’re thinking that we’ll stay dry. A weak system may bring in some clouds and possibly some rain or snow showers on Saturday, then we should be dry and a little milder for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Looking like a Green Christmas with temperatures 5-10 degrees above normal. Image provided by weathermodels.com

Monday: Rain, heavy at times during the morning, tapering off to showers in the afternoon, very windy, with gusts to 50 mph or higher, especially along the coast. High 56-63.

Monday night: Showers end in the evening, some clearing overnight, winds rapidly diminishing. Low 33-40.

Tuesday: Intervals of clouds and sun, chance for a few rain or snow showers, much cooler. High 41-48.

Tuesday night: Clearing. Low 24-31.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, breezy at times. High 37-44.

Thursday: Sunshine and a few clouds, breezy again. High 36-43.

Friday: Partly sunny, a bit breezy, especially early. High 33-40.

Saturday: A mix of sun and clouds, slight chance for a few rain or snow showers. High 35-42.

Christmas Eve: Partly to mostly sunny. High 39-46.

Christmas Day: Partly sunny. High 42-49.

Weekly Outlook: December 11-17, 2023

Once we get past today, much of the week will be fairly quiet weatherwise. Today will not be quiet at all though.

Wind gusts of 40-50 mph will be common this morning and early afternoon, with some stronger gusts across southeastern Massachusetts. Image provided by WeatherBell.

A strong cold front moves through early this morning, with rain ending by midday as the front pushes offshore. Gusty winds west behind the front usher much cooler air into the region. After a mild start, temperatures will drop through the morning. They may level off a little towards midday, especially as the rain ends, then we’ll drop again by late afternoon and evening as skies clear out. High pressure builds in for Tuesday with plenty of sunshine and seasonably cool temperatures. Another cold front moves through on Wednesday, but it will be starved for moisture, so it will only generate a few clouds, and possibly a stray snowflake or two. High pressure returns for Thursday through the weekend. We’ll be rather chilly on Thursday as the high builds in, then temperatures slowly moderate. There is one potential fly in the ointment. Many of the models generate a pretty potent storm in the Gulf of Mexico toward the end of the week or the weekend, and try to have it start moving up the coast. However, the big high sitting in place will slow down that storm’s progress by acting as a roadblock. Some models don’t have the rain with the system ever get up here, so wait until Monday or Tuesday, and some have it move in as early as late Sunday. We’re leaning toward the drier scenario for now, but obviously should have a better idea when we publish our Weekend Outlook on Thursday.

The next storm likely doesn’t impact us through at least the end of the weekend, if at all, but that’s not set in stone just yet. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Rain ending by midday, some late-day clearing is possible, windy. High 40-47 early, except warmer across southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, where temperatures drop during the morning, then hold steady in the lower to middle 40s for early afternoon.

Monday night: Becoming mostly clear with diminishing winds. Low 25-32.

Tuesday: Plenty of sunshine. High 37-44.

Tuesday night: Clear skies. Low 28-35.

Wednesday: Sunshine and a few clouds, breezy. High 37-44.

Thursday: Sunny, breezy, and chilly. High 31-38.

Friday: Mostly sunny, breezy again, milder. High 43-50.

Saturday: Partly sunny. High 41-48.

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 43-50.

Weekly Outlook: December 4-10, 2023

Some cooler weather is on the way over the next few days.

Tuesday will be 10-15 degrees cooler than today across the region. Image provided by WeatherBell.

We’ll start to dry out today, but plenty of clouds will remain in place, and there could be a stray shower as an upper-level disturbance crosses the Northeast. Tuesday will be a dry day but a little cooler as high pressure tries to build in. Things could get a little interesting Tuesday night and Wednesday. Low pressure will pass well offshore, but an extension of it, called an inverted trough, may set up. Normally, trough of low pressure are oriented in a general north-south direction from low pressure to the north. In this case, it’ll be the opposite, south-north from low pressure well to the south, hence the “inverted” part. What this will serve to do is enhance some onshore winds, which will in turn generate some precipitation. With colder air settling in, that precipitation will likely fall as snow. Now, this isn’t a big snowstorm we’re talking about, but across eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and southern New Hampshire, we could see an inch or two in spots, especially across southeastern Massachusetts.

A little bit of snow seems likely for Tuesday night and Wednesday for parts of the region. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

High pressure builds back in for Thursday, which will likely be a rather chilly day. High pressure slides off to the east, allowing temperatures to moderate for Friday and Saturday. The next system approaches on Sunday, but there are timing issues to be worked out with this storm. Some rain is possible during the day, but for now, it looks like most of the rain will hold off until Sunday night and Monday. This is subject to change however as the models start to hone in on the eventual solution. It does look like Sunday could be quite a mild day ahead of the storm, but again, let’s not etch that in stone just yet, since it is 6 days away.

Temperatures could get well into the 50s on Sunday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Monday: Intervals of clouds and sun, slight chance for a shower. High 45-52.

Monday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 29-36.

Tuesday: More clouds than sun, cooler. High 36-43.

Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy with some light snow or snow showers around. Low 24-31.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, light snow or snow showers ending. High 32-39.

Thursday: A mix of sun and clouds. High 31-38.

Friday: Partly sunny. High 39-46.

Saturday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High 47-54.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, and mild with scattered showers. High 51-58.

Weekly Outlook: November 27 – December 3, 2023

The week starts off rather mild, but cooler and drier weather is on the way.

Wind chills will be in the teens Wednesday morning when you head out the door Image provided by WeatherBell.

Low pressure heads into the Gulf of Maine this morning, allowing skies to quickly clear out, but winds will become gusty out of the northwest, ushering some cooler air into the region. High pressure builds in for the next several days, with Tuesday and Wednesday featuring cool and breezy conditions. With an upper-level trough of low pressure overhead, we’ll start these days with sunshine, but clouds will develop by midday, with a few pop-up snow or rain showers possible, but they’ll be few and far between. There could be some ocean-effect rain or snow showers across Cape Cod on Tuesday as well. By Thursday, temperatures will start to moderate as high pressure slides off to the east. Another weak storm system will move out of the Great Lakes on Friday, likely spreading some rain showers in late Friday into early Saturday. High pressure then builds in with cooler and drier conditions for the weekend. Clouds start to move back in late Sunday ahead of yet another storm system, but we’ll get into more detail on that one in our Weekend Outlook on Thursday.

The models all show some rain Friday night, but disagree on the track of the storm, which will impact temperatures. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Becoming partly to mostly sunny, breezy. High 48-55 this morning, temperatures may start to drop in the afternoon.

Monday night: Clear through the evening, a few clouds overnight. Low 25-32.

Tuesday: A mix of sun and clouds, chance for a few widely scattered sprinkles or flurries, breezy. High 34-41.

Tuesday night: Clear skies. Low 21-28.

Wednesday: Partly sunny. High 32-39.

Thursday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds, breezy, not as cool. High 41-48.

Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy, showers likely late in the day and at night, breezy. High 48-55.

Saturday: Early showers, then becoming partly sunny, breezy. High 43-50.

Sunday: Partly to mostly cloudy. High 40-47.

Weekly Outlook: November 20-26, 2023

Thanksgiving week has arrived, but before we get to the holiday we’ve got a complicated forecast.

Better find the winter gear, temperatures will drop into the teens in some places Tuesday morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

The week starts off simple enough with high pressure bringing us sunshine and cool conditions. It’ll be breezy at times, making it feel even cooler, with wind chills in the 20s and lower 30s. Tuesday starts off chilly, but we’ll see clouds start to move in as low pressure heads towards the Great Lakes. A secondary area of low pressure will develop off of the Mid-Atlantic coast Tuesday evening, passing near or just south of the South Coast on Wednesday while the main low passes by to the north. They’ll combine to bring us a windy and wet day on Wednesday, also known as the busiest travel day of the year. However, the rain and wind isn’t the entire story. We’ve left out a big detail, one that many of you probably won’t like. The precipitation will move in towards midnight Tuesday night, and temperatures at that time will probably be close to freezing. That means that it will likely start as snow (or sleet), especially north and west of Boston. Once you get outside of I-495, there could even be some accumulation before the change to rain washes everything away. Once you get into the hills of Worcester County and the Monadnocks of southwestern New Hampshire, there could be a few inches before the changeover. Yes folks, it’s that time of year, whether you like it or not, to use an overused phrase – “Winter is Coming.”

Most of the accumulating snow will be well north and west of Boston Tuesday night. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

The rain tapers off Wednesday afternoon, but likely doesn’t completely end until evening, but then high pressure builds in with sunshine and cool temperatures again for Thanksgiving. So, if you’re traveling locally, you shouldn’t have any issues, but if you’re heading out to one of the high school football games make sure you dress appropriately, because it will be on the chilly side. Friday looks similar to Thanksgiving with dry and cool conditions once again, but the weekend isn’t looking as nice. Another system will likely move up the coast, and this one *should* be mostly rain, but the various forecast models don’t agree on much with this storm, including how strong it will be, the track it will take, or even whether it will impact us on Saturday or Sunday or not at all. We’ll take a deeper dive on that system when we publish our Weekend Outlook, which will be out on Wednesday this week instead of the usual Thursday.

The last 3 days worth of GFS forecast runs show how inconsistent the model has been with the forecast for next weekend. Images provided by Tropical Tidbits.

Monday: Plenty of sunshine, a little breezy at times. High 34-41.

Monday night: Clear skies through the evening, some clouds start to move in after midnight. Low 18-25.

Tuesday: Becoming mostly cloudy. High 36-43.

Tuesday night: Cloudy and becoming windy snow developing around midnight north and west of Boston, changing to sleet and rain before daybreak, rain developing elsewhere. Low 30-37 during the evening, temperatures rise after midnight.

Wednesday: Cloudy and windy with rain likely, possibly heavy at times in the morning, tapering off to showers by early afternoon, ending in the evening. High 46-53, possibly a little warmer across southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Thanksgiving: Mostly sunny, breezy. High 43-50.

Friday: Partly sunny. High 42-49.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, chance of rain. High 39-46.

Sunday: Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy, chance of rain. High 39-46.

Weekly Outlook: November 13-19, 2023

We’ve got an extended stretch of dry weather coming up and as a bonus, it’s going to turn milder too.

A few rain or snow showers are possible later today. Loop provided by Weathermodels.com

We’ll start the week with some sunshine, but clouds move in this afternoon ahead of a weak disturbance. That system may produce a few rain or snow showers late this afternoon and evening, but they’ll be widely scattered and very light. Skies clear out behind that system as high pressure builds in, setting up a sunny but chilly day on Tuesday. There may be a few ocean-effect rain or snow showers across the Outer Cape, but the rest of us will stay dry. Wednesday and Thursday look dry as well with high pressure in control, but temperatures should start to moderate by Thursday as the high slides off to the east. Clouds return on Friday ahead of the next storm system. We’ll be fairly mild ahead of that storm, with some rain likely late Friday into early Saturday. Once that system moves offshore, high pressure returns with drier and cooler conditions again on Sunday.

Temperatures could top 60 in many areas on Friday. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Monday: Morning sunshine gives way to increasing afternoon clouds, a late-day rain or snow shower is possible. High 39-46.

Monday night: A rain or snow shower during the evening, some clearing after midnight. Low 26-33.

Tuesday: Becoming partly to mostly sunny, a rain or snow shower is possible across the Outer Cape. High 43-50.

Tuesday night: Clear skies. Low 27-34.

Wednesday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds. High 44-51.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 53-60.

Friday: Becoming mostly cloudy, rain possible late in the day, more likely at night, windy. High 56-63.

Saturday: Rain ending early, some clearing in the afternoon, breezy. High 52-59.

Sunday: Partly to mostly sunny and breezy. High 44-51.

Weekly Outlook: November 6-12, 2023

The weather pattern will be fairly active for the first half of the week across the region.

Temperatures should get well into the 60s on Tuesday. Image provided by WeatherBell.

We’re starting the week off with a rather cool day today with high pressure in control, but we’ll have plenty of clouds ahead of an approaching low pressure system. A warm front moves through tonight, bringing some showers with it. Those showers end Tuesday morning, setting up a rather mild day, with temperatures likely topping 60 in many locations. As the low pressure system passes by to t north, it will drag a cold front through late in the day, possibly producing another shower or two. High pressure builds in behind that front with much cooler weather on Wednesday. However, we’ll have another low pressure system quickly approaching by late Wednesday. This system will bring in some light rain on Thursday, but if the rain moves in fast enough, some cold air will still be in place, so the rain may start as some freezing rain or sleet well north and west of Boston. Another system may quickly follow for Friday, but this one looks to be a bit farther to the south, so any rain would likely be confined to areas south of the Mass Pike. High pressure builds back in for the weekend.

If precipitation arrives early enough on Thursday, it may not start as rain across the interior. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Becoming mostly cloudy. High 46-53.

Monday night: Cloudy and becoming breezy with showers developing. Low 41-48 during the evening, temperatures may rise a bit overnight.

Tuesday: Showers end early, then becoming partly to mostly sunny, breezy, and mild with another late-day shower possible. High 60-67.

Tuesday night: Clear to partly cloudy, breezy, turning cooler. Low 32-39.

Wednesday: Sunshine and a few clouds, breezy. High 42-49.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with showers likely, possibly starting as some freezing rain or sleet from the hills of Worcester County into southern New Hampshire. High 43-50.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, more showers possible during the afternoon and evening, mainly south of the Mass Pike. High 46-53.

Saturday: Any lingering showers end early, then a mix of sun and clouds, breezy. High 47-54.

Sunday: Partly sunny. High 41-48.

Weekend Outlook: November 3-6, 2023

While this weekend won’t be as warm as last Saturday, it’ll be a lot warmer than the past few days.

We had our first widespread frost and freeze of the season for much of the region this morning. Image provided by WeatherBell.

We’ve got another chilly night coming up with high pressure settling in. Clear skies and light winds this evening will allow temperatures to drop fairly efficiently. However, as the high moves offshore, winds will shift into the southwest tonight, which will allow milder air to start to move in. You’ll notice it on Friday as the southwest winds start to pick up, allowing temperatures to get well into the 50s in most places, which is right around where we should be in early November. The warming trend will continue over the weekend and into Monday, with many places approaching 60, but a couple of disturbances will pass north of the region. While we’re not expecting any rain, except possibly a few sprinkles, we will have a decent amount of cloudcover at times. The clouds become more numerous later Monday as the next storm system begins to approach the region.

High temperatures in early November are normally in the mid-50s. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Don’t forget, Daylight Saving Time ends at 2am Sunday, when we turn the clocks back an hour. Your cell phone will do it automatically, but good luck getting it changed in your car. At least you’ll get an extra hour of sleep. Oh, and in case you forgot, sunset on Sunday will be a few minutes after 4:30pm.

It’ll start getting dark rather early as of Sunday. Image provided by Accuweather.

Thursday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 28-35.

Friday: Sunshine and a few clouds for much of the day, clouds become more widespread toward evening, breezy during the afternoon. High 50-57.

Friday night: Partly to mostly cloudy with diminishing winds. Low 40-47.

Saturday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 55-62.

Saturday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 38-45.

Sunday: Partly sunny. High 55-62.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Low 37-44.

Monday: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy. High 52-59.

Weekly Outlook: October 30 – November 5, 2023

The warm weather is gone and won’t be back anytime soon.

Temperatures will be several degrees below normal for much of the upcoming week. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Low pressure rides along a frontal system stalled out across the region today, bringing us a chilly rain. Temperatures will end up a bit milder south of the front today, especially along the South Coast, possibly as far north as the Mass Pike. Rain ends this evening as the wave moves offshore, then high pressure builds in with clearing Monday night. Halloween starts off with sunshine and cool temperatures, but clouds start to move back in during the afternoon. A developing coastal system will pass south and east of the region late Tuesday night and Wednesday. Some rain is expected across parts of southeastern New England, but how far north and west the precipitation gets is still a question mark. Once you get north and west of I-495, the chances drop quickly. However, with some colder air in place, the rain may start as some wet snow. We’re not expecting any accumulation, but if you’re out an about early Wednesday morning, don’t be surprised if you see some wet snowflakes. That system quickly pulls away with skies clearing out in the afternoon. High pressure then builds back in with sunshine and chilly conditions for Thursday. Temperatures will slowly moderate for Friday into Sunday as the high moves offshore, with temperatures getting back above normal next weekend, but we’re talking into the 60s, not the 70s and 80s we just had. An approaching cold front spreads clouds in on Sunday, but it looks like any rain should hold off until Sunday night or Monday.

A couple of models show the potential for some wet snow to mix with the rain Wednesday morning. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

Monday: Periods of rain and showers, ending late in the day. High 48-55 north of the Mass Pike, 56-63 south of the Pike.

Monday night: Becoming partly cloudy to clear. Low 32-39.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny during the morning, clouds start to move back in during the afternoon. High 44-51.

Tuesday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy with showers developing across southeastern Massachusetts late at night. Low 30-37.

Wednesday: Some showers around in the morning, maybe a few wet snowflakes mixed in, mainly across eastern Massachusetts, skies start to clear out late in the day. High 42-49.

Thursday: Plenty of sunshine. High 45-52.

Friday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy, not as cool. High 52-59.

Saturday: Partly sunny. High 55-62.

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sun, breezy, and mild. High 57-64.