With the cold still fresh in our minds, lets consider the following.
It was the coldest mid-October start in almost 3 decades in Boston this morning. With a rather "balmy" (compared to the low/mid 20s in the suburbs) low of 31 in the city, we ended the growing season and came close to the record of 28.
At 24, we actually tied a record in Worcester. Typically, cold, dense air likes to "pool" at the lower elevations, whereas the higher elevations stay breezy and relatively "warmer". That we were so cold at 1000 feet was very telling of how cold it was in the upper atmosphere.
Now we’re turning the page. Warmth is already on the way in. Temperatures on Mt. Washington have gone from 5 above to nearly 20 this evening, telling us the upper atmosphere is beginning to turn around.
Here at ground level, we’ll see that warmup in the form of low to mid 60s tomorrow. Before you do backflips, keep in mind that the normal high is 60 for this time of year, so we’re really just a little bit above normal.
Nonetheless, it’s a trend we’ll see unfold through the next week: the back and forth seesaw in temperatures. What’s missing in all this a rainstorm…or just a gentle all-day rain. None of that in the forecast ahead.
I won’t climb on my drought soapbox right now, but we could certainly use a good soaking. We are 1.74 inches below normal so far this month, and with all the foliage about to drop soon, fire danger may be a concern in the weeks ahead.
Pete