We're off to a brilliant start for our Thursday, marking an easing of the unsettled weather pattern of late. Let's not cheer just yet -- that weather pattern isn't completely gone just yet.
A series of energetic upper-level disturbances are lined up across southern Canada, diving southeast and poised to move over the Northeastern U.S. This will be resulting in a weak surface-level storm center and each capable of producing scattered showers with their passage.
The next disturbance set to cross New England arrives Thursday afternoon, prompting showers first in the hills and mountains then spreading those showers across the remainder of the region. This is fueled by the temperature difference between a warming ground and cold sky.
Some Thursday afternoon showers may grow hearty enough to not only produce downpours, but even some lightning and thunder! While none of the thunderstorms are expected to become damaging, some may contain some small hailstones. All lightning is dangerous if outside – so keep in mind the phrase "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors."
Showers and embedded thunder will diminish quickly after the early evening, leaving a partly cloudy sky for the start of the night before fog develops and clouds start filling back in from north to south.
The period of clearing Thursday night in the North Country is important, because a recent solar flare has ramped up the energy colliding with earth’s atmosphere from space. This means the Northern Lights will glow more than usual Thursday night.
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While most of New England is probably too far south to observe the Aurora Borealis, northern Vermont, far Northern New Hampshire and northern Maine all may see some faint glow in the northern sky through any breaks in the clouds that emerge.
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Another disturbance and weak storm center is forecast to cross New England Friday with rain most of the day in northern New England and a chance of morning, then evening showers in the southern region. A rumble of thunder is again possible in the evening.
Saturday looks incredible – sunny and mild – while Sunday should be mostly dry, but perhaps not entirely. Increasing humidity arrives aloft first, bringing increased clouds and a low chance of showers for some, higher in the North Country.
Next week looks likely to be mild, but with cool Canadian air nearby we are both tenuous on just how warm, and wary of thunderstorms in the exclusive First Alert 10-Day Forecast.
