Massachusetts weather forecast: Heat and humidity in ‘rear-view mirror,’ much-needed rain on the way
Air conditioners and fans across the region should be getting some rest this week, as more comfortable temps settle in following the brutal heat and humidity.
Meanwhile, the extremely thirsty Bay State could be in store for steady rain, which is desperately needed after months of little rainfall.
The normal temp for mid-August in the Boston area is 81 degrees, and forecasters are predicting temps right around there for the start of the week. Dew points should also be pretty comfortable.
“The super hot, high humidity is in the rear-view mirror,” Bill Simpson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald on Sunday.
Tuesday should be similar temperature-wise as Monday, with the chance for some rain showers later in the day on Tuesday.
Then Wednesday is expected to be even cooler in the low 70s, as meteorologists track the potential for steady rain late Wednesday into Thursday morning. This, however, is not set in stone and will depend on the track of the storm system.
“It would be much-needed rain,” Simpson said, noting the drought conditions across the region. “It could be a half inch to three-quarters (of an inch). Something’s better than nothing.”
Last month was the fourth-driest July on record for Boston. As a result of several months of below normal precipitation, the majority of Massachusetts is facing a severe drought — and now about 25% of the state is in an “extreme drought.” That extreme drought region includes all of Suffolk County.
“… Of particular note is the introduction of extreme drought (D3) in eastern Massachusetts outside Cape Cod, and much of southern and eastern Rhode Island,” the U.S. Drought Monitor wrote this week. “These areas have received near or less than half of normal rainfall over the last 3 months, and only about 50 to 65 percent of normal in the last half-year, which is 9 to 11 inches less than normal.”
After the potential wet weather this week, it should turn warmer and more humid late in the week into the weekend, with limited chances for pop-up showers and thunderstorms.
