Today is “day 1” of a potential heat wave. If you recall from last month (May 17-19th), it takes 3 consecutive days of 90°+ to make a heat wave. It did take until 3pm for temps in Boston to get to 90°, but it still happened to put us in the running. Here’s a look at today’s high temps (you’ll notice that Providence and Worcester are NOT in the running for a heat wave with highs only in the 80s today):
Tomorrow’s heat is a lock – with a strong enough westerly wind component to keep a sea breeze from taking over and keeping the coastline cooler (even if a sea breeze kicks in, it won’t hold). It’s Tuesday’s highs that are still in question. Tuesday would be “day 3” and make this stretch of heat the second heat wave of the season… but Tuesday is an “if/then” in the forecast: IF we make it to 90°… Right now, I think we get there – but I’ll update you on my thoughts tomorrow. :c)
Whether or not we get to 90° on Tuesday, it’s still a HOT and HUMID day. Today the humidity was manageable, with dewp’s in the low 60s. Tomorrow, the dewp goes up to the upper 60s (muggy) and by Tuesday, around 70° (tropical). No way around that one; the frizz factor will be a major factor for the next couple of days.
Tuesday is also our “weather aware” day, when we’ll all keep an eye and an ear to the sky. A cold front will move in from the north and eventually usher in some cooler and drier air. However, as that front moves through, it could make a lot of noise. The timing of the first downpours and storms to form is looking to be a little earlier, say around 1-2pm at the earliest. These storms/showers will be isolated in nature, and scattered rather than widespread. Regardless, some of these storms could prove to be on the stronger side and perhaps even severe. The main impacts would be heavy rain, lightning, hail and damaging wind gusts. As always, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Tuesday’s forecast for you.
Wednesday – Friday are MUCH cooler, with highs back in the low to mid 70s… and that doesn’t include the coastline. An onshore breeze will keep the coast in the 60s for this timeframe… and will certainly feel MUCH cooler than today, tomorrow and Tuesday.
For now, go ahead and break out the summer-work-appropriate-flip-flops and enjoy “day 2” of 90°+ heat! – Breezy