Hello everyone!

Today will feature generally unsettled weather as a weak storm system slides through the southern part of the region. Expect a day of mostly cloudy skies as a result of this system’s passage, though a few sunny breaks are possible in southern NH this afternoon.

The main story today will be the arrival of showers and thunderstorms associated with the aforementioned storm system. Radar imagery suggests that showers are already in progress across northern parts of the area this morning. Expect these showers to continue on and off through much of the morning before becoming more sparse around midday.

The main round of showers and storms will arrive in western parts of the area around 4-5 PM. Across northern parts of the region, expect rain to fall mostly as steady showers with the low possibility of an embedded rumble or two. Southern parts of the area will have a better chance to see rain falling as convective cells. Most of southern Maine and Central NH will remain too cool for robust severe weather which will be focused in southern NH near the MA border.

In this region, a series of discrete or semi-discrete thunderstorm cells is expected to develop around 5-6 PM. These cells could produce damaging winds, large hail, and even a brief tornado or two. This threat diminishes greatly north of Concord, though a stray damaging wind gust can’t be ruled out as far north as Plymouth.

Showers and storms will slowly roll east through Maine around sunset with heavy rain and the possibility for some small hail. A cool wind off the water should keep the severe threat quite minimal, especially east of Portland. Either way, it should be a nice evening to fall asleep to the sound of a steady rain and the relaxing rumbles of distant thunder.

High temps today will feature substantial regional variation given the position of the storm’s warm front overhead. Expect highs just shy of 50 in the mountains and near Penobscot Bay while most of Maine’s coastal plain ranges from 55 near Waterville to 65 in interior York County. Farther west in NH, highs will soar as high as 75-80 in southern parts of the state while central areas top out around 70 and the mountains remain locked near 55.

-Jack