today's weather map

Beautiful Fall Weather To Continue

After some steamy temperatures last week and a reminder of the dog-days of summer, weather conditions for the upcoming week will be cooler, drier, more comfortable, and seasonable. For those of us stuck in sweltering classrooms with no air-conditioning, the change will be a welcome relief.

High pressure will be in control for most of the forecast period, and that means fair weather and no precipitation on the horizon. With the sinking air that a high pressure system usually brings, clear conditions during the night time hours will allow for radiational cooling and a chance of morning fog through most of the forecast period.

A warming trend appears likely toward midweek as our high pressure slides offshore and ushers in a S/SW flow..... don't worry though, we won't see any more 90s like we did last week!

And now let's get to the forecast details:

Sunday: Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High near 66.

Tonight: Clear and cool, with fog developing toward morning. Low near 46

Monday: Patchy morning fog, burning off towards late morning. Mostly sunny for the afternoon, with highs near 69.

Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, with patchy fog developing toward morning once again. Low near 51

Tuesday: Partly to mostly sunny. A tad warmer, with highs near 72.

Wednesday: Morning fog once again. Partly cloudy by afternoon. High near 75.

Extended Outlook:

Thursday: Mostly sunny and warmer. High near 80

Friday: Continued beautiful weather with mostly sunny conditions and highs in the mid 70s.

I'm excited to announce that our WUML weather coverage will be expanding next week to feature Umass Lowell student meteorologists bringing you accurate forecasts tailored to the greater Lowell region.

Tune in to the SUNRISE morning show, starting at 7am on 91.5 FM for your first forecast. In addition, we will be providing daily forecast updates at noon.

And don't forget our student run news and informational show Campus Buzz, which airs every Monday from 4-6 pm, where I put down the weather charts and take the host seat.

This week, we have Justin Lawler from UML intramurals, as well as guests from Student Activities and the Counseling Center here at UML.

Last week's show featuring my interview with new UML Chancellor Marty Meehan is now podcast on the web at http://communications.uml.edu/connections/?p=571

For WUML Lowell 91.5 FM this is Umass Lowell student meteorologist and WUML weather director John Webster.

The Heat Is ON!



High temperatures should top out around 95 degrees today in the Lowell area

Currently at 1:15 pm at the Umass Lowell Weather Observatory the temperature is already up to a steamy 86 degrees with a dewpoint of 67 degrees. That translates into a hot and sticky mess for later on this afternoon. Highs for the region will be in the lower 90s, with heat indices in the UPPER 90s - definitely not your average Fall weather.

However, releif is on our doorstep in the form of a frontal system which will approach the region tonight, bringing with it the chance of a scattered thunderstorm. A weak area of low pressure will likely develop along the front and track to our north, keeping unsettled weather in the area through Friday. There is a silver lining - we are running a precipitation deficit, so any rainfall will be beneficial to the region.

The weather should clear out just in time for an absolutely gorgeous weekend. Temperatures are looking even a tad milder than previously thought so it will be a great weekend for outdoor activities.

And now for the detailed forecast:

Today: Mostly sunny, hot and humid. Slight chance of a late afternoon thunderstorm. Any thunderstorms could contain some gusty winds. High 95

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with the chance of a scattered showers or thunderstorms. Low 65

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a continued chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Cooler, with a High of 84 degrees.

Thursday Night: Continued mostly cloudy with the chance of a shower. Low 63

Friday: Cloudy to start, with clearing throughout the day. Cooler, with highs in the mid 70s.

Saturday: Beautiful! Sunny and mild. We will still be above average in the temperature department, with highs 70-75

Extended Outlook

Sunday: Sunny and mild once again, with highs in the mid 70s.

Monday : Mostly sunny, highs near 75 degrees.

This is WUML weather director, and Umass Lowell student meteorologist John Webster for WUML Lowell 91.5 FM.

Welcome back to the WUML 91.5 FM weather blog, where we aim to keep our Umass Community and local Lowell audience informed about the weather!

This year, we strive to provide accurate, timely forecasts, weather discussions, and a little bit of educational material thrown in for fun.

As the new Weather Director for WUML and Campus Buzz, our weekly student run news and informational radio show, I have been working with both the media department at the station, as well as meteorology students here at the university to expand our weather coverage so that students, faculty, and Lowell residents will be better informed about the weather. As always, I welcome any suggestions to improve our service. For comments or ideas, please email them to me at UMLJohnW@aol.com

And now on to the weather....

Although Autumn officially began at 5:51 am Sunday, our weather for the upcoming week will be anything but fall-like. In New England, Mother Nature rarely follows the calendar. I think she likes to keep us meteorologists on their toes.....

An area of high pressure currently located over the eastern Great Lakes will dominate our weather over the next several days. As it slides east toward Bermuda, winds will swing around to the southwest, pumping in some seasonably hot air that will feel anything but fall-like....In fact, the forecast over the next few days is more typical of mid-July! Temperatures by Tuesday will likely be just shy of the 90 degree mark, and by Wednesday we could even top that. Although both days will be on the humid side compared to our recent weather, a silver lining is that I don't expect any "steam heat" to make the hot weather feel even more uncomfortable.

For those who have already put away their shorts, our mini heat wave will be short lived.

By Thursday our summerlike pattern will begin to transition into more seasonable weather. Expect mostly cloudy conditions and temperatures in the mid-70s for your Thursday and Friday as a cold front swings down from the Northwest, ushering in some cooler and drier air just in time for the weekend.

By Saturday afternoon, highs will be a crisp 65-70 with mostly sunny conditions. Looking at the extended range computer models, I see no indications of any more significant warm ups down the road.

So, if you want to hit the beach one last time this year, you may want to develop a 24 hour bug just in time to pack your cooler Wednesday morning! And now for your detailed forecast....

Lowell Forecast

Monday: Mostly sunny and seasonably warm. Highs near 80

Monday Night: Clear. Lows 50-55. Calm wind.

Tuesday: Sunny and seasonably hot, with westerly winds 5-10 mph, gusting up to 20mph in the afternoon. Highs 85-90

Tuesday Night: Clear and cool, with lows 60-65 degrees. Winds becoming southwest 5-10 mph.

Wednesday: Quite possibly the last bona-fide beach day of the year. Partly Cloudy and HOT. Highs near 90.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy and cooler with the chance of a passing shower. Highs near 75.

Friday: Cloudy with the chance of a lingering shower. Highs 70-75.

Tune in to Campus Buzz, every Monday from 4-6 pm for your latest in news, weather, sports, and entertainment. Our featured guest this week - Former US Congressman and new Chancellor to Umass Lowell - Marty Meehan!


For WUML Lowell 91.5 FM, this is Umass Lowell student meteorologist and WUML Weather Director John Webster.

After a short summer hiatus, Campus Buzz will be back this Monday, 9/24 starting at 4pm. Our WUML 91.5 FM weather blog will also be up and running again within the next day or so.

Have a great weekend everyone!

John Webster
Weather Director
Campus Buzz