Sandy Makes Her Move

Posted by Pete Bouchard

We're knee-deep in the winds from Sandy. Gusts already topping 40mph along the coast, and things are only going to get worse.

There are two facets to the storm that have us most concerned: the wind and the coastal flooding. In terms of wind, we've been here before. In terms of coastal flooding, we haven't been here in YEARS.

I know a lot of folks are trying to compare this to storms of the past, and I think that's a good angle to take. So without further adieu:

1) The number of outages will be in the thousands. However,  for communities away from the coast (like west of I-128) this WILL NOT be as bad as the Halloween storm or the Ice Storm of 2008. Our gusts will range from 40-50 mph in these areas, and although the power may go out in some areas, it won't go out in all.

2) Coastal flooding will be the worst in years. The coast will get it from both ends: worst in the wind - with some gusts near 70mph, AND inundation of homes, shore roads, whole streets, and neighborhoods. The impact will be greatest at the noontime high tide on Monday. Local authorities may continue to evacuate through the day, so please stay abreast of the situation.

3) Rainfall. Here's where we don't have to worry. Rain will tally 1-2 inches for most areas, with the Greater Worcester area squeeking out 2-4 in some spots (thanks to the fact that the terrain is more hilly).

Now timeline:

The storm has started. It will last through Tuesday in terms of wind and nuisance rain, then ease up on Wednesday. Although showers and breezes will persist for Halloween, they'll be lighter all around.

Worst winds will be from late morning straight on into the evening today. Particularly hard-hitting winds will occur from 2pm-7pm. This timeframe will see a lot of downed power lines, detours and road blocks. Be careful on your ride home tonight.

Drizzle this morning will turn to rain this afternoon, then taper to lighter showers by evening as the temperatures soar into the mid and upper 60s! We're on the humid side of this storm, so there is no threat for snow!

Here's the tide info:

Newburyport  - Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 13-17ft, Surge 3.0 Feet

Gloucester –  Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 15-20ft, Surge 3.5 Feet

Revere - Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 12-17ft, Surge 3.3 Feet

Boston Harbor - Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 2-3ft, Surge 3.3 Feet

Scituate - Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 13-17ft, Surge 3.5 Feet

Sandwich Harbor- Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 15-20ft, Surge 3.5 Feet

Provincetown Harbor- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves  3-4ft, Surge 1.8 Feet

Chatham East- Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 13-17ft, Surge 3.0 Feet

Chatham South- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves 1.6ft, Surge 3.0 Feet

Onset- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves 2 ft, Surge 4.0 Feet

Marion- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves 3-5ft, Surge 4.2 Feet

Mattapoisett- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves 5-6ft, Surge 3.0 Feet

Westport- Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 14-16ft, Surge 4.4 Feet

Woods Hole- Minor/None Coastal Flooding, Waves 3ft, Surge 3.7 Feet

Vineyard Haven- Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 3-4ft, Surge 3.9 Feet

Nantucket East - Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 11-12ft, Surge 3.9 Feet

Nantucket Harbor- Major Coastal Flooding, Waves 7-8ft, Surge 3.9 Feet

Nantucket South- Moderate Coastal Flooding, Waves 14-16ft, Surge 3.0 Feet

Keep in mind that the tide will come in a few hours before and stay up a few hours after high tide.

Be safe and cautious out there! And remember to stay with 7News throughout the storm.

And remember to follow us on Twitter for timely updates:

@pbouchardon7

@jreineron7

@clamberon7

Pete

3pm update:

Sandy is rocking to the Jersey coast. Her forward speed has increased, resulting in an earlier landfall than expected. We may see her center onshore by 6pm this evening. This means after 7pm these hellacious winds will drop off...albeit slowly.

Pete

More Warmth

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

You have another warm & humid day with many towns repeating yesterday's weather. That means we start with clouds & fog for a bit before hazy sun gets going. That hazy sunshine will boost temps up into the low 80s by early to mid afternoon across much of the region. At the same time a cool front will begin dropping out of Maine (backdoor front) which will quickly send temps from the 70s/80s down into the 50s/60s by late afternoon & evening. Also, when this front rams into the warmth & humidity it will spark a few showers & thunderstorms during the afternoon.

Summ-ah!

Posted by Pete Bouchard

With the snap of the fingers we were thrown into summer this afternoon. Heat, humidity, A/C and shorts - with a hazy sun to boot. But with the sea breeze knocking back the temperatures (and bringing in a round of downpours this evening), there are changes afoot.

Feet First

Posted by Jeremy Reiner

Right into summer. Warm & humid weather expected for much of the week. Good?.....Well, keep in mind that warmth & humidity are the 2 key ingredients for thunderstorms. The last being something to *lift* that warm/humid air. Usually a front is a good device to do such that. Today, we will have a cool front approach New England very late in the day & evening. That may lead to an isolated storm or two after 4pm but most towns just have a fair amount of clouds, warmth & humidity. Temps will climb to near 80 by afternoon.

Warming Up and Unsettled

Posted by Chris Lambert

Well, it certainly was a great weekend weather-wise until this afternoon when the temps dropped and light showers moved in from west to east.  Despite the cool down, the theme for this upcoming week is warmer with higher humidity.  It'll also be unsettled at times.