Friday Evening Update On The Ongoing Rain

The rain across a majority of the region has lightened up as compared to what it was throughout much of the day today.

Rainfall totals with this storm so far have been much heavier than what was expected. These rain totals include: Worcester: 2.02 Inches. Fitchburg: 1.79 Inches. Orange: 1.76 Inches. Springfield: 3.28 Inches.

Here in Sturbridge, I have recorded a total of 2.85 inches of rainfall so far.

While rain is expected to continue throughout the rest of tonight, the intensity of the rain should be more light to moderate. The exception may be around the lower Pioneer Valley of Western Mass where some periods of heavier rain is expected tonight.

During Saturday, periods of rain is expected during the morning with the rain ending by afternoon.

Additional rainfall amounts tonight & Saturday morning looks to range from around one quarter of an inch across areas of Central Mass that are near and south of the Mass Pike to around one tenth (0.10") to one quarter (0.25") of an inch for areas of Western Mass that are north of the Mass Pike.

Across Western Mass, the middle and upper Pioneer Valley and the northern Berkshires look to see an additional one quarter to one half of an inch of rainfall tonight into Saturday morning. For the lower Pioneer Valley and the southern Berkshires, between one half of an inch (0.50) and one inch of additional rainfall is expected tonight into Saturday morning.

Good news though, the sun comes back for Sunday with the sunny weather expected to last through much of, if not all of next week. High temperatures will be in the 70s on not only Sunday, but throughout all of next week.

Rain Is Expected From Friday Right Into Saturday Across Much Of Western & Central Mass

For Tonight: An area of low pressure is expected to move off of the Mid-Atlantic coast tonight as a trough of low pressure extends northward from this low pressure center. That low pressure trough is expected to be the focus for rain to both develop later tonight and also be the focal point of where the heaviest rainfall amounts will occur once we get into Friday, Friday night and Saturday. Rain looks to overspread areas that are near and south of the Mass Pike after midnight tonight. This rain should overspread the remaining parts of Western and Central Mass by about sunrise Friday morning. Low temperatures will be near 50 Degrees. Winds will be Northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Friday & Friday Night: While rain is expected across a majority of the area during Friday and Friday night, the intensity of the rain will vary greatly depending on where you’re located in relation to that low pressure trough. It appears that the low pressure trough looks to set itself up from parts of New Jersey northward into southeastern New York and western Connecticut. This is where a big time dumping of rain is expected with amounts of 4 to 8 inches are expected Across our area, Western parts of Mass and especially the lower Pioneer Valley looks to be the spot to really watch for heavy rainfall amounts and the threat for flooding. Further east across Central Mass, while it’s expected to rain throughout Friday and Friday night, the amounts of rain looks to be much more manageable. So, rain is expected throughout all of Friday and all of Friday night across the entire area. Periods of moderate to heavy rain looks likely across the Berkshires as well as across the lower Pioneer Valley of Western Mass throughout all of Friday and much of Friday night and this heavy rain is likely to lead to flood issues of roads, highways, underpasses and areas of poor drainage. Rainfall amounts from Friday through Friday night are anticipated to range from one quarter to one half of an inch across the I-495 corridor as well as across the far northern Worcester Hills to one half of an inch to one inch of rainfall from the upper Pioneer Valley southeastward to the Worcester Metro, as well as the I-190 and I-395 corridors to 1 to 2 inches of rainfall across the central Pioneer Valley, the western Worcester Hills and the I-84 corridor to 2 to 3 inches of rainfall with locally higher amounts expected across the southern Berkshires and the lower Pioneer Valley of Western Mass. A forecast rainfall map for the upcoming storm has been attached to this post. High temperatures Friday will be between 60 and 65 Degrees. Low temperatures Friday night will be between 50 and 55 Degrees. Winds on Friday and Friday night will be Northeast at 5 to 10 mph.

This Weekend: Rain is expected to continue throughout Saturday morning across the entire area, although the intensity of the rain looks to be generally light. This rain looks to then to come to an end during Saturday afternoon. High temperatures Saturday will be between 60 and 65 Degrees. Lots of sunshine is expected throughout the day on Sunday with high temperatures near 75 Degrees.

Some Light Rain Is Expected From Friday Afternoon To Saturday Morning

For This Afternoon: An area of high pressure will control the weather throughout this afternoon. This means that sunny skies can be expected this afternoon with temperatures around 65 Degrees. Winds will be Northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight & Thursday: That high pressure system will continue to control the weather during tonight and Thursday. Skies tonight will be clear to partly cloudy with low temperatures between 40 and 45 Degrees. Winds will be Northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Thursday looks to be a sunny to partly sunny day with high temperatures between 65 and 70 Degrees. Winds will be Northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Friday Through Saturday: An area of low pressure now near the southeastern coast of the United States is forecast to try to lift northward towards our area as we get into late this week. There is considerable uncertainty as to how far north the rain with this storm system will push into the region. The reason why is that the big high pressure system over New England may act as a block and try to prevent the rain shield from making it all the way northward through all of Western and Central Mass.

At this point, I think that rain will overspread areas that are near and south of the Mass Pike during Friday afternoon and may make it as far north as Route 9 by Friday evening. This rain, which looks to be generally light in intensity should persist through Friday night and Saturday morning across areas near and south of Route 9. Areas north of Route 9 and especially areas near and north of Route 2 may not see any rain at all from this system. Any rain looks to come to an end by Saturday afternoon across the entire area. High temperatures Friday will be between 60 and 65 Degrees. Low temperatures Friday night will be between 50 and 55 Degrees. High temperatures Saturday will be near 65 Degrees. Sunday Through Next Wednesday: A stretch of dry and quiet weather looks likely by late this weekend through at least the first half of next week as a high pressure system takes control of the weather. In addition, a stretch of some warm temperatures are also expected late this weekend into early next week. Sunday and Monday both look sunny to partly sunny with high temperatures both days near 75 Degrees. Tuesday looks sunny to partly sunny with high temperatures between 75 and 80 Degrees. Next Wednesday also looks sunny to partly sunny with high temperatures between 70 and 75 Degrees.