Good morning folks, the chances of realizing our next heat wave have actually decreased as the cold front responsible for changing our hot and humid air mass which flexes today into Wednesday will be coming through sooner than expected, more like Wednesday morning at some point. This means Thursday is pretty unlikely to produce any highs in the low 90s the way it looks at the moment, so we just gotta get through today and tomorrow and we should be in better shape in terms of heat, humidity and air quality.

For today, heat will peak with southwest flow pushing highs into the upper 80s to upper 90s for high temps. As dewpoint temps come up into the 60s, heat indices will push 100º in spots, especially in the lower Pioneer Valley down toward Hartford, CT.

Southwest winds will gust 15-30mph at times later today and tonight, and our mostly sunny skies will likely become hazier with time as a plume of Canadian wildfire smoke passes overhead.

Heat Advisories are up for these conditions across the entire greater WMass region, except for the northwestern hilltowns of WMass (western Franklin, Hampshire) and the northern Berkshires so take it easy out there today, stay hydrated, find ways to get cool. Lows will hang in the low to mid 70s, so it will be very uncomfortable for sleeping.

I also want to highlight that a stronger plume of Canadian wildfire smoke looks pretty likely to waft through our surface starting Wednesday morning, but more so behind the cold frontal passage for Wednesday afternoon or evening.

This may cause air quality issues, and hoisting of Air Quality Alerts by the MA and CT DEP offices, so if I will keep you updated on that.

I do expect some scattered showers and possibly a couple of thunderstorms to move through the region from northwest to southwest for early Wednesday morning ahead of our incoming cold front. Any storms would likely not reach severe levels, but there is a low chance of a stronger cell.

Wednesday’s highs of the low 80s to low 90s likely arrive around mid-day as dewpoints peak towards 70º, so Heat Advisories will likely be left active for Wednesday.

During the afternoon, temps and humidity should start decreasing, along with the chance for ground smoke to increase. Lows will drop into the low to mid 60s under partly cloudy skies.

By Thursday and Friday, we should see partly to mostly sunny skies developing though I will have to update on any wildfire smoke impacts. Highs will reach the low to mid 80s with lows near 60º.

Once we reach our weekend, our upper low to our north in Canada will help drive a few disturbances towards New England within cyclonic (i.e. counterclockwise) flow, which could produce some showery periods either or both days.

High temps will be lower due to the influence of our upper low, reaching the mid 70s to low 80s both days, and extending into Monday with fair weather developing by early next week.

Have a great a day!

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”
― Joseph Campbell

YOUR NUTSHELL:
–Heat peaks today, humidity peaks tonight into Wednesday morning
–Highs reach the upper 80s to upper 90s today
–Dewpoints push into the 60s later this afternoon, then 60s to low 70s by first part of Wednesday
–Therefore, Heat Advisories have been hoisted for today and tomorrow for 95-102º heat index values (the heat index is the combo of air and dewpoint temps, a/k/a “feels-like” or “apparent” temp)
–Hazy skies likely develop later after a mostly sunny day due Canadian wildfire smoke aloft
–Southwest winds gust 15-30mph at times today and this evening
–A cold front approaches Wednesday morning, with some weakening northern New England shower/storm activity ahead of it
–Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday morning
–A plume of Canadian wildfire smoke is looking likely to cause air quality issues Wednesday, especially in the afternoon and evening
–Highs Wednesday reach the low 80s to low 90s with high humidity early, then drying out later in the afternoon
–Lows in the low to mid 60s followed by a sunnier and more seasonable Thursday and Friday with highs in the 80s and lows near 600
–The weekend is murky, with shower and thunderstorm potential with highs only climbing to either side of 80º both days, and extending into Monday
–More rainfall is possible by Tuesday as a cooler (and hopefully) wetter pattern is looking more probable than not at this range

YOUR DAILY CELESTIALS
STAR:
–OUR STAR ROSE AT: 5:27am this morning
–OUR STAR SETS AT: 8:25am this evening
–TOTAL DAYLIGHT TIME: 14 hours and 58 minutes

MOON:
–OUR MOON SETS AT: 9:01pm this evening
–MOON SET DIRECTION: West-Northwest
–OUR MOON RISES AT: 6:41am tomorrow morning
–MOON RISE DIRECTION: East-Northeast
–MOON PHASE: Waxing Crescent (0.2% Illumination)