Friday Insights & Essentials: Weekend Showers & Wind to Gradually Subside

It’s been weeks since Matt and Danielle were able to share a 24-hour observed rainfall map, but we’re finally seeing it light up again with our recent showers, and there are more of those to come.  This may not work out perfectly for outdoor plans this weekend, though, as Matt highlights here in Insights – the deeper dive into meteorology.  Today, Matt focuses on coastal flooding, big waves, pockets of showers and rain, when improvement comes and where should be the best spot to look for fall foliage this weekend. Plus…the start of the Topsfield Fair is on the 14-day forecast!!  It’s all in the video.

Coastal Impacts and Flooding Concerns

We’ll continue to see minor coastal flooding with each high tide cycle through Saturday afternoon, especially along the north side of Cape Cod and southern Cape Cod Bay. Areas like East Dennis may experience slightly worse flooding due to persistent northeast winds gusting over 40-50 mph on the Cape and Islands Friday evening. These winds will begin to subside slowly as we head into Saturday but remain gusty through Friday night.

Big ocean waves and rip currents will also be a concern at beaches, so if you’re planning to be near the water, use caution.


Rain Showers and Weekend Outlook

As the storm system spins offshore, we’ll continue to see rain showers develop through Saturday, particularly for central and southern New England. Northern and western areas, including Northern New England, should remain mostly dry, offering some excellent opportunities for leaf peeping as fall colors are just starting to pop in those areas.

Saturday will bring scattered showers and pockets of rain. Keep in mind that rain totals won’t be huge, and there will be holes in the rain, so it’s worth keeping tabs with our Noyes’ 1DegreeOutside weather app — most of the region will accumulate between a quarter and half an inch over the weekend, with Boston likely somewhere near the half-inch mark.

Sunday is when we’ll start to see improvement. While the day may begin with clouds, drizzle, and patchy fog near the coast, conditions should improve as the day goes on, with sunshine breaking out by the afternoon in most areas.


Temperature Drop and What to Expect Next Week

Saturday will be cooler due to the north-northeast winds and widespread clouds. Highs will range from the 60s in eastern areas to slightly warmer conditions in Northern and Western New England, where more sunshine is expected. Sunday will also start cool, but with the drier air moving in, you can expect clearer skies by the afternoon, making Sunday afternoon the best time to get outside.

Looking ahead, Monday will be another day with highs in the 60s and increasing clouds as we prepare for the next round of showers arriving in Western New England on Tuesday afternoon, spreading eastward by Tuesday evening.


Extended Topsfield Fair Forecast

Looking further out, the extended forecast now includes Opening Day on October 4 for the Topsfield Fair!  While we see a higher chance of showers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, rain chances should decrease by the latter half of next weekend.  The following week is a more normal weather pattern of quicker moving disturbances that may bring showers but they’d be less likely to linger.  At this early juncture, we’re optimistic about a pleasant start to the Fair and we’ll keep you posted as we get closer.

Don’t forget to grab your 14-day forecast on Noyes’ 1DegreeOutside Weather app available on the App Store and Google Play!