It was a typical turnaround this afternoon – typical, that is, for a back door cool front. Winds stirred from the northeast early in the morning across Downeast Maine, then joined forces with a developing blob of low clouds. As those same winds gained momentum across the open waters of the Gulf of Maine, the stage was set for falling afternoon temperatures across Southern New England.
Now this wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. In mid/late spring, the water temperature is a LOT colder, and the drama is a lot higher. Temperature drops this afternoon were on the order of 8-12 degrees. (Beverly dropped from 73 to 65 in an hour.) Not enough to make you scramble for a parka, but subtle enough to let you know summer is on the outs.
Indeed. We’ll stay in the low/mid 60s in the coming days as our winds remain from the northeast. Showers? A few, but not enough to put a dent in the drought. In fact, I think we’ll see more dry hours through Wednesday than wet. The driving force for wet weather is a front, and that’s just out of reach – sitting beyond Nantucket Island.
Foliage is coming on strong across all of New England! Perfect recipe for vibrant color: lots of cool air in the mornings last week with recovering temperatures in the afternoon. Only exception is the South Shore, where the leaves are dead and dying due to prolonged drought. In any event, the color wave is moving southward fast, so get out and “peep”!
Pete