Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Boston, MA

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566 FXUS61 KBOX 201815 AFDBOX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 215 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Dangerous heat and humidity on tap for today. Another round of thunderstorms is expected this afternoon/evening across northern MA including the Greater Boston area. Some of the storms could become strong to locally severe. A backdoor cold front moves in from northeast to southwest Friday, though there remains uncertainty how far inland the front tracks. Showers and thunderstorms are likely along the front Friday afternoon, especially across CT and western-central MA. Scattered thunderstorms possible each day this weekend as well as Monday ahead of cold frontal passage that ushers in drier airmass next week. Aside from Sunday, more seasonable temperatures can be expected for the majority of the long term forecast. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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215 PM Update... * Severe T-Storm Watch for northern MA through 8 PM with damaging wind gusts, torrential rain/localized flooding * A few storms are possible further south especially in the high terrain along the Berks this afternoon and evening A Severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for 8 pm for northern MA. Despite limited effective shear struggling to exceed 20 knots...robust instability is in place for southern New England standards with afternoon MLCapes already over 2000 J/KG in northern MA and downdraft Capes were currently around 1000 J/KG. There are a few storms trying to develop now as a result of the elevated heating along the Berks...but across the rest of the region there is just not enough forcing yet. The biggest question remains the southward extent of the main activity developing across northern New England. While some of the radar simulations keep the worst of the activity to our north...certainly could envision the activity impacting northern MA as guidance like the HREF suggests given the amount of instability and Dcapes. The Machine learning probs from the CSU to the Nadocast and HRRR Neural network are showing a quite robust signal for localized damaging wind gusts possible. In addition...Pwats of 2+ inches will support torrential rain with any of these t-storms and a localized flooding threat especially with the slow movement of the storms. So in a nutshell...a Severe T-Storm Watch is in effect for northern MA until 8 pm this evening. This is on the southern extent of the main forcing from northern New England...but a few storms could push further south from outflow/instability. Also...these storms will be capable of producing torrential rainfall and a localized flood threat.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/... 350 AM update... * Early evening storms dissipate after sunset * Another warm/humid night * Storms Fri likely focused across CT & western-central MA Thursday night... Any early evening storms across northern MA will come to an end by 10/11 pm, given lack of deep layer shear and poor mid level lapse rates to support nocturnal convection. Otherwise, dry weather prevails along with another very warm and humid night, with dew pts in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Friday... Northern stream short wave trough moves across eastern Quebec and in its wake, sends a backdoor cold front traversing our region from northeast to southwest. This front will break the heat but also serve as focus for possible convection, especially across CT and western-central MA, on the warm side of the boundary. First temps, warm sector airmass is confined to CT and western-central MA where 925 mb temps are still about +23C. If enough sunshine materializes, this could be a 4th consecutive day of 90+ temps for portions of CT into western-central MA. Heat indices of 95+ are possible, thus a heat advisory remains posted there for Friday. Not as hot elsewhere with highs in the 80s, except mid to upper 70s along the eastern MA coast, in response to NE flow behind the backdoor front, streaming across SSTs in the 60s. Humidity not as oppressive as previous days, but still elevated with dew pts in the 60s. As for convective potential, modest height falls will be accompanied by modest deep layer shear and mid level moisture to support another round of storms. Storms likely most numerous across CT into western- central MA in the warm sector and also vicinity of the backdoor front where low level convergence will be maximized. Modest SB instability of 1000-1500 j/kg of CAPE and marginal deep layer shear will provide a low risk of storms with strong winds. Perhaps a somewhat higher risk is heavy rain/flood threat, with PWATs 2+ inches, slow moving frontal boundary and unidirectional flow aloft for potential back building storms. HREF highlights this potential with a 30% of 3 inches of rain in 3 hours from 18z-21z Fri and again 21z-00z Saturday. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... 350 AM update... * Scattered thunderstorms possible Saturday through Monday with best chance for storms coming each afternoon/early evening * Cold frontal passage on Monday will usher in a much drier period for the middle of next week * Brief reprieve from oppressive heat Saturday before heat builds back Sunday. More seasonable airmass next week behind the frontal passage Saturday... Synoptic pattern changes very little for Saturday as we remain on the northern fringes of the retrograding ridge with a quasistationary cold front draped somewhere across southern Connecticut/southeastern New York. The location of this frontal boundary will again be key in evaluating the scattered thunderstorm threat for Saturday, as a rather stable airmass will continue to exist over at least the eastern half of our CWA given onshore surface flow, with southerly flow to the south and west of the boundary. It is along and west of this convergence zone, that could potentially exclude all of southern New England, that some scattered storms can be expected. *If* the boundary shifts a bit more "northeast", putting portions of SNE in the warm sector, storm development will be delayed until after 15Z or so with a capping inversion in place, thus, we`ll have to wait for surface instability to build to overcome the cap. Compared to Friday, bulk shear is a bit more robust, around 30-35kt, in the area of greatest instability, which could support some longer lived cells. Lapse rates look, average, around 6C/km and with DCAPE values between 300-500J/kg and freezing levels at almost 15,000ft, the damaging wind and hail threats remain low in the absence of very intense updrafts. The greatest threat associated with any stronger cells would be pockets of heavy rain given another day of "tall skinny CAPE" and PWATs around 2". A quick inch or two of rain leading to isolated poor drainage or urban flooding is possible if longer lived cells develop. If we do "warm sector" and see some storms develop, surface based instability will dissipate very quickly after sunset, which will mitigate any marginal severe threat beyond 01Z. There will remain some elevated CAPE, which may allow some showers and perhaps a rumble of thunder to linger past 03Z Saturday night. The NBM 3 hourly thunder probs give a reasonable estimate of where showers and storms will be possible, generally isolated to the Connecticut River Valley. Sunday/Monday... Sunday, and in particular Sunday evening, looks to be more active as low pressure/shortwave moves east from the Great Lakes. A few waves of energy will provide enhanced lift and with bulk shear values climbing north of 40kt, expecting to see some longer lived convection compared to Saturday. Will note, however, that the shortwave has become increasingly LESS amplified in models over the last 24 hours, which does introduce some uncertainty regarding storm coverage, as a weaker wave = less forcing = fewer storms. MUCAPE values exceeding 2000J/kg will again wane quickly after sunset on Sunday with the actual frontal passage delayed until sometime mid-day Monday. Thus, expecting a lull in showers/storms overnight Sunday before a potential second round of convection during the daylight hours of Monday. A much more comfortable airmass develops behind the front late Monday with dewpoints dropping into the low 60s. Next week... Cold frontal passage early next work week looks to usher in a much more seasonable, albeit still warm, airmass for mix next week. Precip chances look rather scarce with an apparent lack of forcing mechanisms. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
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Forecast Confidence Levels: Low - less than 30 percent. Moderate - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. 18z TAF Update... This afternoon & evening...Moderate Confidence. VFR outside of any scattered showers/t-storms...which are the main concern with this TAF issuance. We have VCTS in the BDL/BAF terminals and did include a TEMPO for the next few hours in BAF where storms are forming to their west. We also included TEMPO groups in the 20z-24z time range for ORH/BED/BOS...but will focus in more on specific timing once that becomes clear. SW winds of 5 to 15 knots with some gusts up to 25 knots towards the Cape and Islands. Late This Evening & Overnight...Moderate Confidence. Mainly VFR once the scattered t-storms wind down by late evening. However...will have to watch for some patchy ground fog and reduced vsbys /MVFR-IFR levels/ especially where ground becomes wet from the earlier showers & t-storms. Light SW winds. Friday...Moderate Confidence. VFR except for lower conditions in scattered showers & t-storms. Main risk for a few strong to severe storms will be across western/central MA & northern CT Friday afternoon/early evening. Backdoor cold front will shift the winds to the NE as the day wears along. Friday night...Moderate Confidence. Bulk of the scattered showers/t-storms should wind down Friday evening. Otherwise...light onshore flow coupled with a cooling boundary layer will allow MVFR-IFR ceilings to develop. KBOS TAF...Moderate Confidence in TAF. The main uncertainty is timing any threat for t-storms impacting the terminal. Currently...thinking 20z-24z is the main risk but will need to evaluate latest radar trends and fine tune that. KBDL TAF...Moderate Confidence in TAF. The main issue revolves around t-storms currently to the north of the terminal. Greatest risk is from 20z-24z...but again will need to fine tune that. Outlook /Friday Night through Monday/... Saturday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Chance SHRA, isolated TSRA. Saturday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas IFR possible. Chance SHRA, isolated TSRA. Sunday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Breezy. Chance SHRA, isolated TSRA. Sunday Night through Monday: Mainly MVFR, with areas VFR possible. Breezy. SHRA likely, isolated TSRA.
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&& .MARINE... Forecaster Confidence Levels: Low - less than 30 percent. Medium - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. 930 AM Update... Through Friday: High confidence. High pressure just offshore provides fairly tranquil boating weather much of this period. Scattered thunderstorms this afternoon across the northern MA waters. A few strong storms possible into early Thu evening. SW winds 10 to 15 kt, then shifting to the NE Friday. Thunderstorm probability shifts to the RI waters Fri. We did opt to hoist a short-fused small craft advisory for the nearshore waters towards the Cape/Islands and Buzzards Bay this afternoon and early evening. Good mixing over the land should yield some SW wind gusts of 25 knot nearshore resulting in some choppy seas. Outlook /Friday Night through Monday/... Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Isolated rain showers. Friday Night through Saturday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Chance of rain showers, isolated thunderstorms. Sunday: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Areas of seas approaching 5 ft. Slight chance of rain showers, isolated thunderstorms. Sunday Night: Moderate risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 30 kt. Areas of rough seas. Rain showers likely, isolated thunderstorms. Monday: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Areas of rough seas. Rain showers likely, isolated thunderstorms. && .CLIMATE... All Time June High Temperature Record (Daily) BOS - 100 F (06/06/1925, 06/26/1952 and 06/30/2021) BDL - 100 F (06/26/1952, 06/30/1964) PVD - 98 F (06/25/1943, 06/15/1945 and 06/30/1945) ORH - 98 F (06/26/1952) Most recent day of 100 F (or greater) BOS - 100 F (07/24/2022) BDL - 100 F (07/21/2019) PVD - 100 F (07/28/2020) ORH - 102 F (07/04/1911)* * For ORH this is the only 100+ degree day in its period of record. Daily High Temperature Records... June 20th BOS - 98 F (1953) BDL - 97 F (2012) PVD - 95 F (1941) ORH - 93 F (1953) June 21st BOS - 96 F (2012) BDL - 96 F (1953 and 2012) PVD - 96 F (1941) ORH - 91 F (Multi-Years) Daily Warmest Low Temperatures Records... June 20th BOS - 78 F (1931) BDL - 74 F (1931) PVD - 74 F (1931) ORH - 72 F (1931) June 21st BOS - 80 F (2012) BDL - 73 F (1923 and 2012) PVD - 75 F (2012) ORH - 74 F (1923 and 2012) && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT Friday for CTZ002>004. Air Quality Alert until 11 PM EDT this evening for CTZ002-003. MA...Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT Friday for MAZ008>011. Air Quality Alert until 11 PM EDT this evening for MAZ007- 010>021. Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT this evening for MAZ002>007- 012>019-026. RI...Air Quality Alert until 11 PM EDT this evening for RIZ001>005. Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT this evening for RIZ001>005. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for ANZ231>234-254-255. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Nocera/KS NEAR TERM...Frank SHORT TERM...Nocera LONG TERM...KS AVIATION...Frank/KS MARINE...Frank/Nocera/KS CLIMATE...BL