Today’s deep dive into the weather story brings a refreshing shift across New England. As cleaner ocean air filters in, wildfire smoke that’s been thickening in recent days is starting to thin out and shift westward, thanks to a developing onshore wind. While some haze may linger in Western New England, the smoke’s impact on air quality and visibility will diminish over the next 36- 48 hours.
Meanwhile, we’re also keeping an eye on offshore swell from Tropical Storm Dexter, which is expected to stay out to sea. While Dexter poses no direct threat to New England, it will increase wave heights and rip current risk along east- and southeast-facing beaches through Friday and into Saturday. Swells will build to 2–4 feet offshore by midweek, and beachgoers should use caution as rip current risk climbs to moderate or even high levels.
The jet stream remains active, helping disturbances slide quickly through the Northeast. This limits the likelihood of a large storm settling in, and reinforces the broader drier-than-normal pattern we discussed in our August Monthly Forecast. Though a few isolated showers or thunderstorms may develop each afternoon through Thursday in northern and western New England, eastern New England stays dry, thanks to the marine influence.
Temperatures remain pleasantly mild – around 80°F inland, 70s along the coast, and dew points retreat back into the 50s by Wednesday, offering another stretch of dry, comfortable weather. As we move toward the weekend, a potential storm developing in the southern U.S. will be monitored, though fast upper-level winds likely steer it out to sea.
If you’re a 1DegreeOutside member, don’t forget to check out your 14-day dew point and feels-like forecast, available for all membership levels. Looking ahead, we may see increasing humidity early next week, but for now, it’s another stretch of great weather.
