Small hail, rain and some thunderstorms could hit Central, Eastern Mass. before the weekend
Thunderstorms and rain could douse parts of Massachusetts on Friday, bringing what could be the latest round of precipitation for potentially a while.
Dry conditions throughout Thursday should lead to a cold front's arrival that brings scattered showers by around daybreak on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The best chance for thunderstorms is from Central to Eastern Massachusetts during the early to midafternoon, forecasters said. Springfield could also see showers and storms before 2 p.m., and again between 2 and 5 p.m., and after 5 p.m. Skies should be cloudy with a high near 76 degrees. Rainfall totals should be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible.
Similar conditions are expected for Boston after 2 p.m. and Worcester after 3 p.m., forecasters said. Both cities could see between a quarter and a half an inch. Temperatures in Worcester should reach near 73 degrees, while Boston could be higher at 77.
"Severe weather isn't expected, but a couple storms may produce briefly strong wind gusts and small (sub-severe) hail," forecasters wrote. "...The biggest question mark is the timing of the front`s progress through southern New England; while a few solutions are slower, a rough consensus seems to be during the mid-morning into the Berkshires and to the eastern coastal waters by mid/late afternoon. Thinking it's more likely that areas east of Interstate 91 have the better chance at seeing some weak destabilization and some thunderstorms."
Storms could strengthen and bring strong gusts and some small hail from Central to Eastern Massachusetts, but forecasters expect that there's a low risk for any potentially severe weather. By the start of the night, storms should move offshore, with showers likely being isolated to the Cape and Islands. Overnight lows should plummet down into the low 40s and mid-50s, while the Cape and Islands should see lows in the mid- to high 50s.
Seasonable conditions and dry weather return Saturday and should carry on well into next week, with no other precipitation expected in the coming week, forecasters said.
"Temperatures start off a little cooler than normal, then a modest warm up as we move into the early to middle part of the workweek," forecasters wrote. "...All told, pretty nice weather to close out August and flip the calendar to September."
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