While Saturday turned into a great summer day, today has it beat.
No slow start with clouds, fog and sprinkles – just sunshine, save for a patch or two of valley and pond fog where temperatures cooled so comfortably overnight, thanks to comfortably low humidity levels.
That same relatively low humidity continues today, though a gentle sea breeze will allow humidity to rise ever so slightly along the coast and on Cape Cod by day’s end.
Nonetheless, tons of sun with only a few afternoon fair weather clouds will mean a gorgeous summer day from mountaintop to beach.
In fact, the beauty will continue even beyond the beaches, as only a one to two foot wave is expected on the waters today with an early afternoon high tide, and the milder water temperatures we’ve been watching just offshore have finally arrived to Eastern beaches, with ocean water now running around 70 degrees.
Although the weather pattern is about to change this week, it’s a very different change from what we’ve become accustomed to. Rather than the jet stream “trough,” or southward dip in the jet stream winds, returning to pool energetic disturbances for numerous showers and thunderstorms, this week will feature a relaxing of that trough.
The “ridge,” or northward bump in the jet stream housing lots of hot air across the Western and Central United States, will expand east, affording an opportunity for New England to break into a chunk of the deep heat we’ve heard so much about.
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As the first round of increasing humidity gradually arrives Monday, a veil of clouds will dim the sun before a few isolated afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms are possible late Monday with temperatures in the 80s.
Tuesday brings another increase in humidity, which will mean scattered thunder, particularly during the afternoon.
Thereafter, 90 degrees or hotter seems likely Wednesday through Friday, marking a heat wave of three consecutive 90+ days for at least some of New England, and our team has issued a First Alert for Thursday and Friday, when heat index values – sometimes referred to as “feels like temperatures,” combining the impact on the body of humidity with heat – will reach to around 100°.
At this point, it looks like the heat may start to break down Saturday, prompting scattered storms later Friday and multiple storms possible with the change of air Saturday, then somewhat cooler temperatures at the end of the exclusive First Alert 10-day forecast.
