Heat, haze continue Thursday with the chance of a sprinkle, and (yep) rain looms for the weekend
High pressure will begin to break down Thursday, but not before keeping mostly sunny skies in place. But keep in mind, that lingering wildfire smoke will make the skies look more blue-grey than a typical sunny day. Highs are set to return to the 80s with a breeze across Boston and much of Southern New England.
There might be a brief afternoon sprinkle or coastal thunderstorm as a weak cold front pushes south through New England. The thunderstorm could be from a sea breeze that forces warm air to lift and condense into a quick storm along the coast. Skies will stay partly to mostly clear with temperatures slipping to the upper 50s and low 60s Thursday night.
Thinking about the weekend? Rain is looming in the forecast. The last completely dry weekend in Boston was March 8-9. Since then, there have been 13 weekends with rain: 12 Saturdays and 9 Sundays.
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The setup — more haze and heat, but nothing excessive
Another mostly sunny day is on tap, though a dry cold front will push through later in the afternoon, increasing clouds with a chance for a brief sprinkle. There's a decent amount of dry air in the mid-level of the atmosphere to keep any shower activity brief and well-scattered.
But here's an interesting bit to consider: an afternoon sea breeze may push inland while the front skirts closer to the coast, wedging air from two sides up into the atmosphere. This means a rogue, pop-up thunderstorm could develop along the Southern New England coast between New London, Conn., and Cape Cod this afternoon. The T-storm would be very isolated if it does develop.
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A mostly sunny day will end with some showers across extreme Southern New England.
Boston Globe
Temperatures are set to return to the low and mid-80s across Greater Boston with a westerly flow in place. The cold front may descend into Massachusetts from the north by the time peak heating occurs, which means Northern New England may stall in the upper 70s.
Highs on Thursday will reach the mid-80s across Southern New England.
Boston Globe
You'll notice the haze as you head out the door Thursday as Canadian wildfire smoke stretches across New England. The approaching front will help lift and thin out the haze as the day goes on, but regardless, it should stay high in the atmosphere. A few spots might get a hint of campfire smoke, especially in the higher elevations of the Berkshires and Northern New England.
Canadian wildfire smoke will push into New England on Thursday before a front clears it away.
Boston Globe
With the westerly wind and approaching front, you can expect a breeze to build to 10 to 15 miles per hour across Greater Boston and much of Southern New England, and some gusts in the afternoon may reach 20.
Wind gusts across Southern New England may reach 20 to 25 miles per hour at times Thursday afternoon.
Boston Globe
Friday will deliver a mostly dry day as the frontal boundary sort of lingers across Southern New England. A mix of sunshine and clouds is expected with a couple of scattered light showers. That should hold temperatures to the 70s.
Weekend preview: A near lock for another rainy Saturday
The forecast is beginning to take shape for what will be a 14th straight weekend where measurable rain fell in the region. I can only imagine all the weekend plans that have been changed or scuttled, and all the business lost because of crummy weekend weather.
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We're stuck in this large-scale pattern where the jet stream has been swinging back and forth across New England while staying relatively flat. This means storms can pass through at a faster rate. Think of an open highway versus curvy backroads — which road can you drive faster on? The flat, straightened-out jet stream has increased the rate of storm frequency to about three days. Unfortunately, that has has meant a lot of weekend storms.
Scattered showers are likely on Saturday across New England.
Boston Globe
A look at the weather across Boston for the next seven days.
Boston Globe
Thursday's breakdown
Greater Boston:
Mostly sunny under a blanket of haze. Highs to the low and mid-80s. A westerly breeze to 15 miles per hour. A very low chance for a spot sprinkle in the late afternoon, but unlikely. Staying partly to mostly clear at night with lows to around 60.
Southeastern Mass.:
Mostly sunny with some afternoon clouds. Hazy skies as highs reach the low 80s and upper 70s near Fall River and New Bedford. Breeze to 15 miles per hour. A low chance for an isolated shower or general t-storm to develop during the evening. Otherwise dry with lows in the upper 50s.
Central/Western Mass.:
Partly to mostly sunny skies with elevated haze. Highs to the low 80s from Springfield to Worcester. Berkshire County reaches the mid-70s. A brief isolated sprinkle is possible in the afternoon. Partly to mostly clear at night with lows in the upper 50s.
Cape and Islands:
A mostly sunny day with haze on the horizon. Highs to the upper 70s and low 80s. A breeze to about 15 miles per hour and gusts to 20. An isolated shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon. Partly to mostly clear at night with lows in the upper 50s.
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Rhode Island:
Partly to mostly sunny with haze. Highs to the low and mid-80s with a breeze to about 10 to 15 miles per hour. A low chance of a sprinkle or isolated shower in the afternoon. Staying dry at night with lows in the low 60s under partly cloudy skies.
New Hampshire:
Decreasing sunshine as a front comes in, but partly cloudy at most. A scattered shower or two is possible but mostly north of Berlin. Temperatures reach the upper 70s and low 80s. Staying mostly clear at night with lows in the mid-50s.
Vermont/Maine:
Seeing a few sprinkles along the Canadian border; the farther south in each state, the sunnier Thursday is. Highs in the upper 70s and low 80s. Hazy skies will last most of the day. Clearing at night with lows in the 50s.
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