Time To Prepare

Posted by Pete Bouchard

What was once a fuzzy forecast got a whole lot clearer today when our weather models turned Sandy (or what may be her powerful remnants) toward the East Coast.

While the exact track remains elusive, there is one thing we can agree on: we will see a significant impact from Sandy late Sunday and into Monday.

There I said it.

But what I didn't say is important too. I didn't mention direct hit to New England. (Too early for that.) I didn't mention that Sandy will be a tropical system (hurricane or tropical storm). And I didn't mention this will be a storm of record. Or epic. Or devastating.

Those are certainly options, but because of the uncertainty on the EXACT track, I'm not ready to pull out all the stops. The train is running, but it hasn't left the station.

That said, it's time to prepare. Make sure your outdoor equipment/furniture is securely stored. Boats should be in, but if they're moored, prepare for SEVERAL significant high tide cycles. Prep the beachfront (if you can) for severe erosion, and if you live steps away from the water, have a backup plan in place if you need to move to higher ground.

There's more time to sort things out, and certainly the situation could improve. If Sandy is NOT captured by the jetstream, well, then I just wasted a couple paragraphs of space in my blog. That option is still on the table. There will be a point in the storm's path where the tropical steering currents hand off to the upper level steering currents over the U.S.  I liken this to a baton pass in a relay race. If Sandy misses the handoff (to the U.S.) she will sail out to sea over the fishes. If she completes the handoff, we have a monster on our hands. Energy from the upper atmosphere will be imparted to Sandy and she will become even larger and more dangerous.

I have my doubts that Sandy will complete the handoff. It's very difficult to 'phase' at such a low latitude without a strong cold blast of air (which we don't have). We'll see how it unfolds.

In the meantime, some pretty nice days are on tap. Unfortunately, they won't catch many weather headlines in the Sandy frenzy, but 60s return to the forecast tomorrow, and Friday may see some towns and cities make a run for 70 (away from the coast)!

Enjoy! And remember to stay with 7News for the latest on Sandy.

Pete

Take the Good, Take the Bad

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Rain, rain, rain...

...but for many today was a day of hurry up and wait. Sure there were showers, but not every minute was washed out. With the events unfolding tonight, that's about to change.

How To Spin This

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

So....what would you like to hear first? The good news? Bad news? Let's start with the good news....

Come On Ride The Train

Posted by Pete Bouchard

Heavy rain is on the move! All afternoon long it was stalled over Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Heavy pulses of rain traveled over the same towns and cities - a process meteorologists call "training" - resulting in flash flooding in some counties to our west.

Unsettling

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Another day where we have cool, ocean air battling warmer land air leading to a clash of air. That means clouds, drizzle, fog, humidity (frizzy hair) for much of the day. It's not a washout though. The highest chance of rain is this morning--until 9:30am and then later this afternoon (after 3pm). In between, you will see a lot of clouds but also some sunshine at times. Even limited sun will be able to shove temps well into the 70s. This warm & humid air is what will lead to another round of showers & t-storms later today. Some of the storms will be intense. Like the past two days the strongest storms will be in western New England. Only isolated showers/ thunderstorms are expected along the coastline later today. Sox game will have the risk of some showers but they should be able to play that game. Welcome back Tito!