401  
FXUS61 KBOX 031842  
AFDBOX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
242 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXPANDED INTO THE INNER WATERS  
ON MONDAY AND AN SPS HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER  
POTENTIAL ON MONDAY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND EXCEPT FOR  
CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS. WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN INCREASED DURING  
THE AFTERNOON HOURS INTO MID- WEEK.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- DRYING TREND MONDAY INTO TUESDAY WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND  
BREEZY TO GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS.  
 
- MAINLY DRY, WINDY & UNSEASONABLY WARM AWAY FROM THE SOUTH COAST  
TUE. LOW RISK FOR ISO T-STORMS LATE ACROSS NORTHWEST MA.  
 
- PERIODS OF SHOWERS ARRIVE FROM WEST TO EAST WED AND MAY PERSIST  
INTO THU/THU NIGHT...BUT THAT IS MORE UNCERTAIN AND DEPENDENT ON A  
SECONDARY WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE.  
 
- NEAR/SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPS FRI INTO NEXT WEEKEND WITH  
PERHAPS A FEW SHOWERS AT TIMES...BUT NOT A WASHOUT.  
MILD DAYS/COOL NIGHTS WITH POTENTIALLY SOME FROST AT TIMES.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...DRYING TREND MONDAY INTO TUESDAY WITH WARMER  
TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY TO GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS.  
 
AS EXPECTED, DESPITE A MOSTLY DRY ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN, STUBBORN  
MOISTURE IN THE 850MB LAYER TOGETHER WITH THE LINGERING  
TROUGH/CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT HAVE LED THIS MORNING'S SUN TO BE  
REPLACED BY THICK DIURNAL CLOUDCOVER. THAT, COMBINED WITH SOME LIGHT  
RAIN OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION HAS LED TO A COOL, RAW DAY.  
THINGS ARE LOOKING UP, THOUGH AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS.  
THIS IS THANKS TO EXPECTED RISING MID LEVEL HEIGHTS AS A RIDGE OF  
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN TO REPLACE THE OFFSHORE LOW. THIS  
WILL PUSH TEMPERATURES UP...FLOW TURNS SW AND PUSHES 850MB TEMPS  
FROM 0C TO +6C BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE EXPECTED WELL MIXED  
BOUNDARY LAYER UP TO 800MB WITH FULL SUN, EXPECTING HIGH  
TEMPERATURES TO BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES WARMER THAN SUNDAY. THE WARMEST  
SPOTS WILL BE THE CT VALLEY WHERE DOWNSLOPING WIND HELPS PUSH TEMP  
INTO THE LOW 70S WHILE AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SOUTH COAST WILL BE  
COOLEST IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. THIS GOOD MIXING ALSO LEADS TO A  
GUSTY DAY; WITH A 25-35KT 850MB JET OVERHEAD, EXPECTING TO MIX DOWN  
GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE DRIER AIR (RH VALUES  
DOWN TO 25-30 PERCENT) HAS LED US TO ISSUE A SPECIAL WEATHER  
STATEMENT FOR ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER POTENTIAL COVERING ALL OF  
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...MAINLY DRY, WINDY & UNSEASONABLY WARM AWAY FROM  
THE SOUTH COAST TUE. LOW RISK FOR ISO T-STORMS LATE ACROSS  
NORTHWEST MA.  
 
A COLD FRONT SLOWLY PUSHES INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES WILL  
COMBINED WITH HIGH PRESSURE MOVING FURTHER EAST OUT IN THE ATLANTIC  
ON TUE. THE RESULT WILL BE A GUSTY SW WINDS AND UNSEASONABLY WARM  
TEMPERATURES AWAY FROM THE MARINE MODIFIED AIRMASS TOWARDS THE SOUTH  
COAST. 925T ON THE ORDER OF +17C/+18C SHOULD ALLOW HIGHS TO REACH  
NEAR 80 IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS NORTHWEST OF I-95. THE GUSTY  
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL HOLD HIGHS IN THE 60S NEAR THE SOUTH COAST,  
CAPE AND ISLANDS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT NANTUCKET DOES NOT EVEN BREAK  
60 DEGREES! BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SUPPORT SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO  
35 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS OF 40-45 MPH POSSIBLE TOWARDS THE UPPER CAPE.  
 
MAINLY DRY WEATHER PREVAILS TUE AS MOST OF THE SYNOPTIC SCALE  
FORCING WILL REMAIN WELL TO OUR WEST IN THE VICINITY OF THE COLD  
FRONT. HOWEVER...LOW RISK ENOUGH INSTABILITY DEVELOPS FOR A FEW LATE  
TUE AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS/T-STORMS ACROSS NORTHWEST MA.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...PERIODS OF SHOWERS ARRIVE FROM WEST TO EAST WED  
AND MAY PERSIST INTO THU/THU NIGHT...BUT THAT IS MORE UNCERTAIN  
AND DEPENDENT ON A SECONDARY WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE.  
 
A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE WEST ON WED.  
STILL SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES...BUT WE DO EXPECT A BAND OF SHOWERS  
TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE DAY WEARS ALONG.  
THIS MAY TAKE UNTIL MID-LATE AFTERNOON TO REACH THE I-95  
CORRIDOR...BUT AGAIN THE TIMING STILL NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT. THERE  
MIGHT BE AN EMBEDDED T-STORM OR TWO AS WELL...BUT INSTABILITY DOES  
NOT LOOK TO BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER.  
 
THIS COLD FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH OF OUR REGION WED NIGHT INTO THU  
BRINGING COOLER TEMPS. WE WILL THEN NEED TO WATCH FOR A SECONDARY  
WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE THAT MAY BRING MORE RAIN TO PARTS OF THE REGION  
SOMETIME THU INTO THU NIGHT...BUT THAT REMAINS UNCERTAIN. THE GFS IS  
QUICKEST WITH THIS SECONDARY WAVE AND ALSO FURTHEST  
NORTH...BRINGING A SOAKING RAIN TO THE REGION THU. MEANWHILE...THE  
CANADIAN/ECMWF ARE FURTHER SOUTH SHOWING THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANOTHER  
PERIOD OF STEADY RAIN WILL NOT BE UNTIL LATER THU INTO THU NIGHT AND  
THAT MAY BE JUST A GLANCING BLOW ACROSS PARTS OF RI/SE MA. THIS WILL  
NEED TO BE SORTED OUT ONCE THE GUIDANCE COMES INTO BETTER AGREEMENT.  
THIS WILL ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TEMPERATURES DURING THE  
DAY THU DEPENDING ON IF WE SEE RAIN OR END UP MAINLY DRY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 4...NEAR/SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPS FRI INTO NEXT  
WEEKEND WITH PERHAPS A FEW SHOWERS AT TIMES...BUT NOT A WASHOUT.  
MILD DAYS/COOL NIGHTS WITH POTENTIALLY SOME FROST AT TIMES.  
 
THE LONG RANGE ENSEMBLES ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN AN UPPER TROUGH  
WITH BELOW NORMAL HEIGHT FIELDS RE-ESTABLISHING ITSELF FRI INTO THE  
WEEKEND. MODEST WESTERLY FLOW THIS TIME OF YEAR COUPLED WITH THE  
STRONG MAY SUN ANGLE SHOULD KEEP HIGH TEMPS NEAR OR JUST SLIGHTLY  
BELOW NORMAL THOUGH. HIGHS SHOULD STILL MAINLY BE IN THE 60S. THE  
NIGHT/S WILL BE POTENTIALLY COOL THOUGH WITH LOWS IN THE 40S AND  
POTENTIALLY SOME 30S ALONG WITH A FROST RISK IF WE HAVE ENOUGH  
CLEARING.  
 
AS FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES...SOME SHORTWAVE ENERGY WITH THE  
ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH/COLD POOL ALOFT MAY BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR  
A FEW SHOWERS AT TIMES. HOWEVER...NOT EXPECTING A WASHOUT WITH  
PLENTY OF DRY WEATHER EXPECTED AS WELL OVER THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS...  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
18Z UPDATE:  
 
THIS AFTERNOON: HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. GUSTY NW WINDS 10-15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20-25 KTS. GUSTS  
DECREASE AFTER 00Z.  
 
TONIGHT: HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. WNW SLOWLY SHIFTING SW BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING AT 5-10 KTS.  
 
MONDAY: HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. GUSTY SW WINDS 10-15 KTS WITH GUSTS 20-30 KTS.  
 
MONDAY NIGHT: HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. SW WINDS DECREASE AFTER 00Z, 5-10 KTS OVERNIGHT.  
 
KBOS TERMINAL...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
KBDL TERMINAL...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
OUTLOOK /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...  
 
TUESDAY: VFR. BREEZY.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT: VFR. BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE SHRA.  
 
WEDNESDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH AREAS MVFR POSSIBLE. BREEZY. CHANCE  
SHRA.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL IFR POSSIBLE. BREEZY.  
SHRA LIKELY.  
 
THURSDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL VFR POSSIBLE. BREEZY. SHRA  
LIKELY.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: VFR. BREEZY. CHANCE SHRA.  
 
FRIDAY: VFR. BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE SHRA.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS...  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...  
 
NW WINDS GUST TO 25KTS TODAY, DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT AND  
INCREASING AGAIN ON MONDAY OUT OF THE SW GUSTING 25-30 KTS.  
WILL ALSO SEE SEAS BUILD TO 4-6 FEET ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS  
THRU MONDAY. GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS, THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY  
HAS BEEN EXTENDED INTO MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE OUTER WATERS AND  
EXPANDED INTO THE INNER WATERS ON MONDAY.  
 
OUTLOOK /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...  
 
TUESDAY: MODERATE RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. LOCAL ROUGH SEAS.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT: STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. AREAS OF  
ROUGH SEAS.  
 
WEDNESDAY: MODERATE RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH SEAS. CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: MODERATE RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS  
WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. LOCAL ROUGH SEAS. RAIN SHOWERS LIKELY.  
 
THURSDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. LOCAL ROUGH SEAS. RAIN SHOWERS  
LIKELY.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH SEAS.  
CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS, SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
FRIDAY: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 25 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH SEAS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.  
 

 
   
BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
CT...NONE.  
MA...NONE.  
RI...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT MONDAY FOR  
ANZ231>235.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR ANZ250-254>256.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...FRANK/BW  
AVIATION...FRANK/BW  
MARINE...FRANK/BW  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab MA Page
The Nexlab RI Page
The Nexlab NH Page
The Nexlab CT Page Main Text Page