476  
FXUS61 KBOX 302307  
AFDBOX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
707 PM EDT MON MAR 30 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
UPDATED AVIATION SECTION.  
 
POSSIBLE T-STORMS EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AND WEDNESDAY. WAVY  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LEAD TO LARGE SWINGS IN TEMPERATURE AROUND  
MIDWEEK INTO THE WEEKEND WITH SEVERAL RAIN CHANCES.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- SHOWERS WITH BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED  
T-STORM LATE TONIGHT AND TUE MORNING.  
 
- SHARP TEMPERATURE GRADIENT ACROSS SNE ON TUE. ANOTHER ROUND OF  
SCATTERED SHOWERS OR T-STORMS POSSIBLE LATE TUE AND TUE  
EVENING.  
 
- WAVY FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARBY OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LEADS TO  
A TEMPERATURE ROLLER-COASTER STARTING WED THROUGH THE WEEKEND,  
TO GO ALONG WITH SEVERAL CHANCES FOR RAIN.  
 
- INCREASING FLOWS ARE ANTICIPATED ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER  
MIDWEEK INTO THE WEEKEND AS RAIN WITH SOME SNOWMELT MOVES  
DOWNRIVER FROM NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THESE FLOWS COULD CAUSE  
RISES INTO FLOOD STAGE DURING THIS TIMEFRAME.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...SHOWERS WITH BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLE  
ISOLATED T-STORM LATE TONIGHT AND TUE MORNING  
 
MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE QUICKLY MOVES THROUGH SNE LATE TONIGHT INTO TUE  
MORNING. THE SHORTWAVE PASSAGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN  
INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY LEADING TO A  
MODEST INSTABILITY BURST AS NOTED BY SWI/KI/TT FIELDS. EXPECT AT  
LEAST SCATTERED CONVECTIVE SHOWERS DEVELOPING AND MOVING THOUGH  
SNE LATE TONIGHT AND TUE MORNING. WHILE THE SHOWERS ARE NOT  
EXPECTED TO WIDESPREAD AND IMPACT ALL AREAS, SOME BRIEF HEAVY  
DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE AND CAN'T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED RUMBLE OF  
THUNDER. THE MORNING COMMUTE FOR SOME WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...SHARP TEMPERATURE GRADIENT ACROSS SNE ON TUE.  
ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS OR T-STORMS POSSIBLE LATE TUE AND  
TUE EVENING  
 
A BACKDOOR FRONT WILL BE MOVING SOUTHWARD INTO SNE TUE. IT IS  
EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NE MA LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON BUT  
THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE ON HOW FAR SOUTH AND WEST IT GETS DURING THE  
DAY WHICH WILL MAKE TEMP FORECAST VERY DIFFICULT AS THERE WILL  
LIKELY BE UP TO A 30F TEMP GRADIENT ALONG THE BOUNDARY. WE EXPECT  
TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE 40S OVER NE MA IN THE AFTERNOON WHILE HIGHEST  
CONFIDENCE OF TEMPS REACHING INTO THE 70S WILL BE ACROSS LOWER CT  
VALLEY. LOWER CONFIDENCE IN BETWEEN BUT CLOUD COVER WILL LIKELY  
LIMIT HOW WARM IT GETS ON THE WARM SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY.  
 
WE EXPECT A LULL IN SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE AFTERNOON BUT WILL HAVE  
TO MONITOR A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS DURING THE LATE  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE INTERIOR. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP ACROSS UPSTATE NY IN THE AFTERNOON AND A FEW SHOWERS OR T-  
STORMS MAY SPILL INTO WESTERN MA/CT LATE DAY AND EVENING. SOME OF  
THE MACHINE LEARNING PROBS ARE INDICATING A LOW SEVERE WX RISK IN  
WESTERN NEW ENG. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE AND  
WIND FIELD AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS ROBUST. INSTABILITY IS THE  
LIMITING FACTOR AS FORECAST CAPES ARE NEAR 500 J/KG AND WEAKENING IN  
THE EVENING SO MAX UPDRAFT FORECASTS ARE UNDERWHELMING. SOMETHING TO  
MONITOR TOMORROW IN CASE INSTABILITY OVERACHIEVES BUT AT THIS  
TIME THE RISK FOR SEVERE IS LOW AND THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO IS  
FOR WEAKENING CONVECTION MOVING INTO THE REGION.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...WAVY FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARBY OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND  
LEADS TO A TEMPERATURE ROLLER-COASTER STARTING WED THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND, TO GO ALONG WITH SEVERAL CHANCES FOR RAIN.  
 
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE VICINITY WAFFLING NORTH AND SOUTH OVER THE  
NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE THE MAIN DRIVER OF OUR WEATHER FROM MIDWEEK  
INTO THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH WE CAN SAY IT IS AN UNSETTLED WEATHER  
PATTERN, VARIATION IN THE FRONT'S POSITION DAY-TO-DAY RENDERS A  
LOWER-CONFIDENCE FORECAST ON BOTH HIGH TEMPERATURES AND THE TIMING  
OF THE BEST RAIN CHANCES.  
 
WEDNESDAY LOOKS TO BE THE MILDEST DAY, ALTHOUGH THE FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY WILL BE MOVING SOUTHWARD FROM NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND.  
TEMPERATURES COULD BE QUITE MILD, WITH WIDESPREAD MID/UPPER 60S  
AND A FEW SPOTS IN THE INTERIOR COULD REACH INTO THE LOWER 70S.  
IT LOOKS QUITE A BIT COOLER ALONG THE COASTS IN NORTHEAST MA AND  
FOR THE CAPE AND ISLANDS. EXACTLY HOW WARM WE GET WILL HINGE ON  
THE POSITION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM TUESDAY NIGHT; IF IT  
LIES FURTHER TO THE NORTH THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE AREAS  
TO SEE HIGHS REACHING INTO THE LOWER 70S. LATEST GUIDANCE SEEMS  
TO SUGGEST THE FRONT LIES OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, WHICH  
WOULD OFFER SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS. BETTER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS  
WITH LOW CHANCES FOR A RUMBLE OR TWO OF THUNDER ALONG THE  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY, THOUGH THE RISK FOR THUNDER IS MORE THE  
EXCEPTION THAN THE RULE.  
 
WE THEN HIT THE TROUGH IN THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER-COASTER ON  
THURSDAY, AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL HAVE REMAINED FAR ENOUGH  
SOUTH TO ALLOW FOR SHALLOW COLD AIR FROM A 1040 MB HIGH PRESSURE  
OVER NORTHEAST ME TO ADVECT IN ON A STIFF ONSHORE WIND; NOT TO  
MENTION AT LEAST MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST THAT WILL BE STUBBORN TO  
SHAKE FREE OF UNDERNEATH VERY MILD TEMPS AT 925-850 MB. HIGHS  
COULD STRUGGLE TO REACH THE LOW 40S WITH NARROW DIURNAL RANGES.  
PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE COULD BE POSSIBLE TOO, IN WHAT  
LOOKS BE A DREARY, RAW DAY.  
 
FOR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY WILL BE LIFTING NORTHWARD ON FRIDAY, BRINGING RETURNING  
MILDER TEMPS TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE FOR RAINS  
AGAIN TAKES PLACE FRI NIGHT INTO EARLY ON SATURDAY. SATURDAY THEN  
SEES A POTENTIAL RETURN TO COOLER ONSHORE FLOW BEFORE REBOUNDING  
BACK AGAIN INTO THE 60S FOR SUNDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 4...INCREASING FLOWS ARE ANTICIPATED ON THE CONNECTICUT  
RIVER MIDWEEK INTO THE WEEKEND AS RAIN AND SOME SNOWMELT MOVE  
DOWNRIVER FROM NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THESE FLOWS COULD CAUSE  
RISES INTO FLOOD STAGE DURING THIS TIMEFRAME.  
 
GENERALLY MILD TEMPERATURES AND SEVERAL PERIODS OF RAIN ARE  
ANTICIPATED THE NEXT 7 DAYS. WPC'S LATEST 7-DAY QPF FORECAST IN  
NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND SHOWS AT LEAST 2 INCHES OF QPF IN NORTHERN  
NEW ENGLAND. A COMBO OF RAIN AND SNOWMELT IN THE UPPER  
HEADWATERS OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER IN NH/VT WILL LEAD TO RISES  
AS THAT ADDED FLOW MOVES DOWNRIVER INTO THE MA/CT PORTION OF THE  
CONNECTICUT RIVER. WHILE CURRENT FLOWS ARE AT BASEFLOW LEVELS,  
LATEST HYDROLOGIC ENSEMBLE FORECASTS FROM THE NAEFS SUGGEST  
SEVERAL GAGED FORECAST POINTS ALONG THE CONNECTICUT RIVER  
(NORTHHAMPTON, THOMPSONVILLE, HARTFORD AND TIDE-INFLUENCED  
MIDDLE HADDAM) SHOULD BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE RISES MID TO LATE THIS  
WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND, POTENTIALLY TO OVER BANKFULL. IT IS  
STILL UNCERTAIN WHEN THE CONNECTICUT RIVER SPECIFICALLY WILL  
START TO RISE AND WHAT THE CREST FLOWS WILL LOOK LIKE, AS THESE  
ARE SENSITIVE TO BOTH LOCAL AND UPSTREAM QPF INPUTS AS WELL AS  
HOW MUCH SNOWMELT DRAINS INTO THE RIVER HEADWATERS (AT LEAST  
2-3" OF SWE IS NOTED PER NOHRSC ANALYSES). WE'RE NOT IN THE  
RANGE OF NERFC RIVER FORECASTS AS OF YET BUT THE POTENTIAL  
EXISTS FOR RISES WHICH COULD PROMPT RIVER FLOOD WARNING(S) ON  
PORTIONS OF THE CT RIVER LATE THIS WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
00Z UPDATE...HIGH CONFIDENCE TONIGHT, THEN MUCH LOWER CONFIDENCE  
TUE AND TUE NIGHT DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN LOCATION AND TIMING OF  
BACKDOOR FRONT, WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACTS WIND AND CEILING  
FORECAST.  
 
VFR TONIGHT WITH DIMINISHING SW WINDS, BUT LLWS EXPECTED NEAR  
COAST WITH 020 WINDS 40-60KT, STRONGEST NEAR CAPE COD.  
 
CONDITIONS LOWER TO MVFR/IFR OVERNIGHT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS,  
PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM, BEFORE IMPROVING TO MVFR OR  
EVEN VFR IN AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SHOWERS OR  
THUNDERSTORMS MAY REFORM LATER TUE AFTERNOON OR EVENING,  
ESPECIALLY ACROSS INTERIOR.  
 
SW WINDS PREVAIL TUE WITH 25KT GUSTS NEAR SOUTH COAST, WITH WIND  
SHIFT TO N-NE INTO ORE-ORH-PVD CORRIDOR BY EVENING AS BACKDOOR  
FRONT PUSHES SOUTHWARD.  
 
KBOS TERMINAL...MODERATE (40%) CONFIDENCE IN TAF. CONDITIONS  
COULD REMAIN VFR LONGER OVERNIGHT INTO TUE IF TIMING OF FRONT  
SLOWS DOWN.  
 
KBDL TERMINAL...MODERATE (40%) CONFIDENCE IN TAF. CONDITIONS  
COULD REMAIN VFR LONGER OVERNIGHT INTO TUE IF TIMING OF FRONT  
SLOWS DOWN.  
 
OUTLOOK /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...  
 
WEDNESDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL VFR POSSIBLE. BREEZY. SHRA  
LIKELY, ISOLATED TSRA.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL IFR  
POSSIBLE. BREEZY. CHANCE SHRA.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: BREEZY. CHANCE RA, CHANCE FZRA.  
 
FRIDAY: BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE RA.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: BREEZY. CHANCE RA.  
 
SATURDAY: BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE RA.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS...  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
PERSISTENT GUSTY SW WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY. COULD SEE SOME  
GUSTS APPROACH GALE FORCE ACROSS THE WATERS SOUTH AND EAST OF  
NANTUCKET, AS WELL AS THE OUTER RI COASTAL WATERS, BUT THINK A  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS MORE APPROPRIATE. WINDS AND SEAS BRIEFLY  
SUBSIDE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY, BUT STILL EXPECTING ROUGH SEAS  
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS. EXTENDED THE SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY INTO WEDNESDAY WHERE CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST.  
 
OUTLOOK /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...  
 
WEDNESDAY: MODERATE RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. ROUGH SEAS UP TO 12 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN  
SHOWERS.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. LOCAL ROUGH SEAS.  
CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.  
 
THURSDAY: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 25 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT. CHANCE  
OF RAIN.  
 
FRIDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. AREAS OF SEAS APPROACHING 5 FT.  
SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN.  
 
SATURDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE  
OF RAIN.  
 

 
   
BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
CT...NONE.  
MA...NONE.  
RI...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ANZ230-  
236.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ANZ231-  
250-251.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR ANZ232>234.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ235-237-  
254>256.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...KJC/LOCONTO  
AVIATION...JWD  
MARINE...KJC  
 
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