EAST HARDWICK – Rain was relentless in May, the observing station in East Hardwick saw 4.40 inches, with the normal for the month being 3.83 inches. The heavy rain from Saturday’s coastal storm did not count into this total because observations are taken in the morning, meaning an additional 1.02 inches of rain was received from that storm. May is the third month in a row with above-normal precipitation. The pattern looks to continue as we move into the first week of June. Designing the forecast this week required a lot of temptation to not simply copy the elements from last week’s forecast. Some elements were left alone as they are indeed similar from week-to-week, although a few details have been altered to tell the story of the week ahead.
One of those dissimilar features is the air-mass in place currently. Rising heat and humidity is a new highlight under mostly sunny skies the next two days, which will cause a moderation of temperatures into the mid-80s. In addition, there will be some increased air quality issues due to a plume of wildfire smoke moving through on Wednesday. Although translation to the surface will be largely limited, air quality index values suggest those with known sensitivity to pollutants consider shortening outdoor activity.
By Thursday afternoon, enough energy will build up to fire off some scattered showers and thunderstorms with the approach of a frontal boundary. A few storms may be strong to severe, with wind gusts being the primary concern. As the front marches south, it stalls a little bit, keeping things somewhat cloudy and showery for Friday.
Another low develops and approaches the northeast for Saturday. Some coastal development is possible with this, although models have been all over the place with where the primary energy will be centered. At any rate, expect this weekend to be not much different from the previous, with Saturday being our washout day. Some showers linger into Sunday, with prospects of clearing by the afternoon hours and cooler conditions. Here are the forecast details:
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Hazy. High: 86. Low: 63. South wind 10-15 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with showers and thunderstorms by mid-afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce strong winds to 50 mph. High: 81. Low: 62. Southwest wind 5-10 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with occasional breaks of sun. Scattered showers. High: 77. Low: 57. Light and variable wind.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Rain. High: 71. Low: 53. East wind becoming northwest 10-15 mph with gusts to 30 mph.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the morning; becoming partly sunny by afternoon. High: 68. Low: 46. Northwest wind 5-15 mph.
Tyler is our weather reporter and a community journalist. He works as a nurse and EMT, volunteers with Hardwick Rescue and helps to train new EMTs.
