It’s been a quiet ride so far this autumn. A few downpours and a shot of cold – but also a lot of sunny, dry days.
So much, that our drought has deepened to stunning levels. Take a look at the rain deficits in the graphic to the right. After further review, the highest rainfall deficit I could find (among the quality-controlled official observing sites) in New England is Manchester, NH with over 16 inches of rain. That’s right, normally Manchester would have 36" of rain by this time of year. Right now they stand at 20" and some change.
So to say "we need the rain" is a gross understatement. We need a half dozen (or more) of these storms to erase the drought. Sustained, consistently gentle rain over the course of a few months would do the trick. Instead we only get one…then fall back to dry weather again.
To what can we expect in this one-off event? Wind and rain, naturally. Along with a possible thunderstorm, and a lot of warmth.
First drops fall tomorrow afternoon as the storm nears. Heaviest rain will fall after 10pm and carry through the overnight and into Thursday morning. With warmer air funneling in at all levels, thunder is possible through Thursday morning.
Wind will ramp up tomorrow all day. It whistles through the entire night and into Thursday morning as the storm blows in. Gusts will range from 30-40 for most, but 40-50 on the Cape/Islands. In its wake, the wind remains steady and gusty through Thursday. Given that this is the first strong, sustained wind of the season – along with the fact that some trees will be stressed by the prolonged drought – there might be some power lines and tree limbs that come down.
Lots going on in the next 24 hrs. Stay with us as we ride out the storm.
Pete