11 pm Friday Evening Weather Update For Western & Central Mass

There are two thunderstorms that I'm tracking right now.

The first thunderstorm is mainly producing heavy downpours & a minimal amount of lightning. This thunderstorm is currently located near Amherst & is moving to the southeast at a forward speed of about 40 mph.

It is expected that this thunderstorm will cross a large part of central and southern Worcester County over the next hour - starting in the western Worcester Hills by 11:15-11:30 pm and reaching the Worcester Metro by about midnight. This first storm should exit the area by about 12:15-12:30 am.

A second area of thunderstorms currently stretches from Pittsfield to Lee at the time of this post. This thunderstorm is producing heavy downpours, a moderate amount of lightning and up to 40-50 mph wind gusts. This thunderstorm is moving to the southeast at a forward speed of about 40 mph.

It is anticipated that this second area of thunderstorms will reach the lower Pioneer Valley of Western Mass by about 11:30 pm. From there, these thunderstorms look to reach southwestern parts of Worcester County by about 12-12:15 am or so. After that, these thunderstorms look to cross southern parts of Worcester County & especially areas near and south of the Mass Pike between midnight and 1 am. Heavy downpours, gusty winds of up to 45 mph and perhaps some lightning will accompany these thunderstorms when they move through.