Kicking off the long Holiday Weekend in style, with gorgeous sunrise photos filtering in on social media sites. Thank you for sending them in! I’m not used to working these hours (filling in for Chris Lambert), but the best part about getting up in the middle of the night is being awake for the early summer sunrises. Here’s one of my favorites from this morning, courtesy of the fantastic Nicole Williams (@Nic_M_Williams): 
We’re still enjoying the longest days of the year, with the strongest sunshine. As that bright sun disappears later today, don’t worry! It will be back. It really is a perfect weekend in store, but we do have to get through some storms tonight, first. Humidity is on the increase as we head through the day, which means the infamous “Frizz Factor” becomes a “factor” for us again today. Clouds move in and thicken in as the day trudges on. I think, all things considered, it’s not a complete loss for the day. Of course, we can’t rule out an early shower or sprinkle in the afternoon hours – but I think you’ll still be able to enjoy the bulk of the day for whatever you have planned (and if it’s sitting in a car in holiday traffic, sing along with the radio for a little stress-relief). Showers and storms don’t start to work into Western Mass until about 5-6pm. With a set up like this, timing is everything. It’s important to be “weather aware” heading into this afternoon/evening, as there is the potential for some of these storms to be strong/severe. That potential is greater the more west you go, but still something to watch all around New England. Here’s the Storm Prediction Center’s Convective Outlook (storm forecast) for today: 
Strong, damaging winds are possible with these stronger cells, as well as heavy rain. We can’t rule out hail here, nor the (very slight) chance of an isolated tornado. Remember though, some of these straight-line winds (gusts) can be just as damaging as rotating winds. I say it 8 times a day, but it’s a good mantra for a forecast like this: “When thunder roars, go indoors.” The threat for these storms stays with us until around 1am tomorrow morning… Then the weekend REALLY starts!
Sunshine is back for Saturday, Sunday, Monday… continuing. Yes, we’re back in a dry stretch. Bad news for the lawn – good news for plans to visit the beach. We’re also in for a warming trend, and it’s into the mid to upper 80s by the 4th of July! 
Be safe, and enjoy making these summertime memories! -Breezy