Hello everyone!

Today’s going to be a great weather day across the area despite the (general) lack of sunshine. In the last 90 days, Portland has gotten all of 5″ of rain which is less than half of what we usually pick up in the same time. Most of the rest of the region is running year-to-date precipitation deficits between 6 and 12″, even after our two recent heavy rain events. So we need all the rain we can get, and today’s weather pattern is perfectly positioned to deliver.

Today, we’ll see a cold front slide slowly into the region as deep tropical moisture surges north. When the moisture hits the cold front later this morning, it will be forced to rise, during which time it will cool and condense into clouds and rain. So look for showers to develop in the mountains and foothills starting in the next couple hours before becoming more widespread this afternoon. As upper-level winds become oriented parallel to the front this afternoon, it will stall out and the rain will keep falling along and west of the boundary.

Though there’s still some uncertainty, the front looks most likely to stall out along the Turnpike which means the foothills and mountains will be best-positioned to cash in on continued rain this afternoon. The immediate coast and especially the Midcoast looks to stay mostly dry until the next round of rain arrives late tonight/early tomorrow morning.

East of the front along the coast, some breaks of sun are possible especially this morning. Thus the warmest temps will be found along the NH Seacoast where highs will top out around 65-70. Much cooler temps, in the low-mid 50s, will be found up north where clouds will remain locked in place all day.

Through the end of the day today, it looks like rainfall totals will range from zero along the Midcoast (and perhaps parts of the coast farther south/west too) to 1 or 1.5″ in the foothills and mountains depending on how long bands of showers linger over any particular area.

Another round of rain arrives tomorrow morning and will be both significantly heavier and more widespread. To top if off, tomorrow’s round of rain will change over to snow up in the mountains as cold air filters south behind the developing storm. Not the best stretch for outdoor plans but man do we need the rain!

-Jack