On & Off Showers & Thunderstorms Are Expected The Rest Of This Afternoon & This Evening Across Western & Central Mass (Posted at 12:45 pm Tuesday Afternoon 7/21/2026)

Showers with heavy downpours are making their way across parts Western Mass and across much of Central Mass at the time of this post. It is expected that this particular area of heavy showers will continue across the region for the next couple of hours before they come to an end from southwest to northeast by mid-afternoon.

Additional showers and thunderstorms are then expected to affect the entire area by later this afternoon. This second round of showers and thunderstorms are then expected to last through this evening. Some of the thunderstorms may be capable of producing heavy downpours and lightning. While a strong or severe thunderstorm is possible with this second round of storms, it appears that the risk is very low. That said, this is something that'll be watched, just in case.

A break in the shower activity is then expected from after midnight tonight through Wednesday morning. It then appears that some scattered showers and thunderstorms are a possibility from about mid-afternoon Wednesday through Wednesday evening. A couple of the thunderstorms could be on the strong to severe side & be capable of producing gusty winds, small hail, torrential downpours and frequent lightning. This will be something to keep an eye on once we get into the day on Wednesday.

A Round Of Showers & Thunderstorms Are Expected From Tuesday Afternoon Through Wednesday Across Western & Central Mass

For The Rest Of This Afternoon & Tonight: A very nice rest of the afternoon in terms of weather is expected across Western & Central Mass. Expect sunny to partly sunny skies with temperatures around 80 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s. Winds will be Southwest at around 10 mph.

Clear skies are expected during tonight with low temperatures between 55 and 60 Degrees. Winds will be Southwest at around 10 mph.

Tuesday Through Wednesday: A frontal system is going to be on its approach to the area during Tuesday & Tuesday night before it crosses the region on Wednesday. This front will bring with it gusty winds and a round of showers and thunderstorms with heavy downpours that’ll last from Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night and Wednesday. It appears that any strong or severe thunderstorms will be very limited with the much higher risk for severe weather staying to our west and southwest from New York State southward through the Mid-Atlantic States.

Tuesday looks to start out partly sunny, but will quickly become cloudy by late morning or early afternoon. There may be a few showers or isolated thunderstorms during the afternoon with the coverage of shower and thunderstorm activity increasing by late afternoon. High temperatures will be between 75 and 80 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be in the mid 60s. Winds will be South at 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday night looks cloudy & windy. In addition, there is the expectation for widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms. Most of this shower and thunderstorm activity looks to occur during the evening hours. Additionally, any of the shower or thunderstorm activity will produce heavy downpours. Low temperatures will be around 65 Degrees. Winds will be Southwest at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30-35 mph.

Wednesday is expected to be a cloudy, windy and humid day. In addition, there’s the possibility of some scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms as the region will remain in a unstable air mass. It’s possible that a couple of the thunderstorms could be on the strong side & be capable of producing gusty winds and heavy downpours. High temperatures will be around 80 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be in the mid 60s. Winds will be Southwest at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30-35 mph.

Thursday & Friday: A big high pressure system is expected to build into the area for Thursday and Friday.

Thursday looks sunny with high temperatures near 75 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be between 45 and 50 Degrees.

Friday looks partly sunny with high temperatures between 80 and 85 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be in the low to mid 50s.

Weekend Weather Outlook: That high pressure system will remain in control of the weather throughout this weekend bringing with it dry weather & the potential for a very nice weekend.

Saturday looks sunny with high temperatures between 80 and 85 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be in the mid 50s.

Sunday is expected to be sunny with high temperatures between 80 and 85 Degrees. Dew point temperatures will be around 60 Degrees.

Thunderstorms, Some Strong To Severe, Are Expected Between 6 pm and 10 pm This Evening Across Western & Central Mass (Posted at 11 am Saturday Morning 7/18/2026)

As expected, smoky skies have returned to Western and Central Mass and is causing hazy conditions across the area. This smoke is reducing visibilities in many areas & has led to the smell of smoke in some areas.

It is expected that these smoky, hazy conditions will continue through all of this afternoon and into this evening. Expect hazy, smoky conditions that will reduce visibilities & lead to a smoky smell in the air. This means that those of you with respiratory conditions, such as asthma or emphysema probably should limit time outdoors the rest of today. If that wasn't enough, the rain that occurs with the showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and this evening is likely to pull down some soot and ash leading to the possibility of smudgy black marks on outdoor surfaces.

In addition to this, shower activity is now pushing into far Western Mass & these showers are likely to continue overspreading the entire area over the next hour or two. Once these showers begin, they will likely continue on and off throughout this afternoon & locally heavy downpours and rumbles of thunder are possible. I do not think that this first round of showers & isolated thunderstorms will be strong or severe.

A second, much more important round of thunderstorms are expected to affect all of Western and Central Mass this evening between about 6 pm and 10 pm. These thunderstorms are expected to accompany a southeastern moving cold front that'll push through the region tonight.

It is anticipated that a line of thunderstorms, some of them strong to severe, will move from northwest to southeast across all of Western and Central Mass beginning about 6-7 pm and continuing until about 10 pm. Any strong to severe thunderstorms between 6 pm and 10 pm this evening will be capable of producing 45-65 mph wind gusts, torrential downpours and frequent lightning.

I will be keeping very close tabs on the thunderstorm activity, especially as we get into this evening & will be posting updates as needed. So, check back for updates later today.