Frightful "Noel" to Affect Southern New England?

Satellite image of tropical storm Noel, located to the SE of Florida. The bright green indicates very high and cold cloud tops associated with strong convection. Click to enlarge.

Some of the computer models have put tropical storm Noel, in an altered "extra-tropical" form off the SE coast of Massachusetts near Saturday. The above is a current worst case scenario. Click to enlarge.

Jack O Lanterns react to the news that tropical storm Noel could brush Southern New England later this week..... however the center of the storm should remain out to sea.

Happy Halloween!

Although 10/31 officially marks the end of the Atlantic tropical season, we have a horrific entity in the Carribean Sea which has already killed 60+ people and could intensify slightly over the next few days. It's name - Noel.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH has been issued for parts of SE Florida coastal waters as the storm meanders towards the N-NW, although it does not look to make landfall over the US. The storm is currently packing sustained winds of 60 mph.

After bypassing Florida, the storm will work NE and out to sea, making it's closest pass at us on Saturday as an extratropical storm (a storm that is no longer tropical). The biggest effect we will see from Noel would be increasing NE winds Friday night and Saturday, especially along the coast, as well as the Cape and Islands. We may see some low clouds,winds,and showers working inland from the storm, but a direct landfalling event is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY. High pressure should give us enough protection to keep this one out to sea. Deviations in the track of the storm could change impacts felt in New England, and we'll be keeping an eye on this one-So don't fret!

Aside from our brush with the fringes of Noel, our weather is rather uneventful for the forecast period. A cold front will work through the region tomorrow night ushering in some cooler air for Friday. As previously mentioned, the outer fringes of Noel could affect us for Saturday, although it won't be any sort of big event.

Check out the detailed forecast below, and

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lowell Regional Forecast:

Halloween Night: Eerily Warm, with a chance of ghouls and goblins passing in the night - or just seeking candy. Otherwise, partly cloudy with a ghastly low near 48.

Thursday: Increasing cloudiness and warm. Could see a stray shower by afternoon. High 65.

Thursday Night: Clouds will scour out as a cold front passes to our east. Becoming chilly, with early morning lows near 34.

Friday: Sunny and cooler. High 54.

Saturday: Becoming cloudy. Winds pick up out of the NE, especially along the coast (15-30 mph) and we could see showers as Noel passes well to our east. High near 56.

Extended Outlook

Sunday: Becoming mostly sunny. High 53.

Monday: Partly Cloudy. Highs in the low 50s.

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

Have a "Horrific" Halloween Everyone!

More Rain on the Way!

Today's blog will be short because I have been at home, fighting off one of those good late fall head colds brought on by lack of sleep and stress.... gotta love having 19 credits a semester! At least the first onslaught of midterms has finally come to an end.... whew!

The threat of rain, however, has not. More moisture is streaming into New England this evening, courtesy of the same upper level low pressure system that has been spinning it's wheels in the middle of the country the last few days. This upper level system will help to spawn a surface low near the Great Lakes, and give us a decent dousing of the wet stuff through tomorrow.

For us big weather fanatics attending the Southern New England Weather Conference tomorrow, things look to be a bit wet. I'm sure the great presentations will more than make up for it. I'm looking forward to seeing Umass Lowell's very own Dr. Frank Colby give a presentation to Southern New England's "weather elite," as well as Harvey Leonard and colleagues with a presentation on global warming.

Well, I think I should get to the forecast before my Nyquil kicks in...otherwise we might have a rather "interesting" forecast!

Lowell Regional Forecast:

Tonight: Cloudy with showers developing, turning into a steadier and heavier rain overnight. Low 51.

Saturday - Southern New England Weather Conference: Cloudy with showers, possibly even a rumble of thunder. Warmer, with highs near 64.

Saturday Night: Cloudy with the chance of a lingering shower early, followed by clearing. Low 45.

Sunday: Mostly Sunny. Highs near 60.

Monday: Sunny and cooler, with highs only near 50! Could see some patchy frost in the morning - we'll keep an eye on this over the weekend.

Tuesday: Continued sunny with highs in the lower 60s.


Wednesday: Still lookin' good! Sunny, highs in the mid 60s.

For WUML Lowell 91.5 Fm this is Umass Lowell student meteorologist and WUML Weather Director John Webster. For those attending Halloween parties this weekend, I hope they are spooktacular! For the rest of us, have a great weekend!

Clear and Cool Tuesday Night in New England



The beginning of the week began with warmer temperatures, in some cases reaching past 70 degrees. Not something we would typically see during October in Lowell. The average temperatures for this week range from 59 degrees to 62 degrees, and today brings the temperature back down almost to the average.

The rain from last night stuck around until early this morning, and now we have clear skies and a wonderfully clear and cool night for Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park. We did see some rain and clouds last night, but the clear before the next few days of drizzle and cold came at a perfect time.

Lowell Regional Forecast

Today's Forecast
This afternoon: The clouds and rain this morning gave way to sunny skies, which will continue into the evening. Highs will be around 60 degrees.
Tonight: Clear and cool with lows in the high 30's.

Friday:
A partly sunny sky in the morning, with some clouds rolling in later in the day. A small chance of rain showers in the afternoon comes along with the clouds. High will be in the uper 50's.
Friday Night:
The evening brings clouds and a possibility of rain showers, with lows around 50 degrees.


And now the weekend outlook.


Saturday:
Clouds will be around all day, and the drizzle will keep up as well. High nearing 70 degrees.

Sunday:
Mostly cloudy and still some rain possibly left over in the morning. Highs in the mid 60's.

For WUML Lowell 91.5FM, this is Student Meteorologist Johnna Infanti.

Satellite view of the US. Note the circular shape to th clouds located over Mississippi and Alabama. This is a potent upper-level low pressure system, whose counter-clockwise circulation is drawing warm moist air up the eastern seaboard. The brighter yellows and oranges over the Mid-Atlantic show the higher cloud tops associated with thunderstorms as the warm moist air collides with the colder air over New England. Click to enlarge.

More Rain for Us, While Forest Fires Rage on the West Coast.....

A gloomy day across southern New England as a frontal boundry stalled in our vicinity has been a focusing point for clouds and showers to persist throughout the day. Helping to pump in the moisture is a potent upper level low pressure system located over the Southeast. This system is drawing warm, moist air up from the Gulf of Mexico. As it collides into the cooler pool of air above us, showers are the result. Down in the Mid-Atlantic, they are even seeing some strong thunderstorms as a result.

Meanwhile, across the country, wildfires rage on in California. For a link to some amazing video (can you say a "tornadic firestorm?" click here:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/weather/2007/10/24/lklv.firenado.cnn

But for us, we have a break in the rain for early afternoon/evening. Unfortunately, tonight's Sox game could end up on the wet side as those showers slide NE up the coast.

As a result, tomorrow is not looking as nice as previously thought, as clouds linger through the morning. Hopefully a small bulge of high pressure to our north will help to clear us out by afternoon.

However, our old friend the upper-level low will play into our forecast again for the weekend. As it meanders up through the Ohio Valley, it will throw more rain and showers our way for the weekend. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.......

On a bright note, taking a peek towards next Tuesday, Halloween Night looks to be on the dry side for the trick or treaters, with highs in the mid 50s and lows in the mid 30s. We'll have a better picture for the big day as we get closer to it. And now for the forecast....

Lowell Regional Forecast

This afternoon: Cloudy with scattered sprinkles. Heavier showers moving in after towards late evening. Temperatures holding steady in the mid 50s.

Tonight: Cloudy. Rain and showers early, tapering off by morning. Lows near 44.

Tomorrow: Cloudy to start, with decreasing clouds by afternoon. Patchy morning fog. Highs near 61.

Thursday Night: Clear and cool as we get a break imbetween systems. Low near 36.

Friday : Increasing clouds, with showers possible by evening. High 59.

Saturday: Cloudy with showers. We could see a batch of heavier showers approach the region during the overnight. High 61

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a continued chance for showers, especially early in the day. High 63

Monday: Sunny and cool. Highs in the lower 50s.

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

8 p.m. regional radar shows a batch of showers associated with an approaching cold front heading our way for the overnight

Windy and Rainy Tuesday Night

Today marked another unseasonably warm day in the greater Lowell region, with high temperatures in the mid 70s across the area. We managed to squeeze out another nice day, with the rain holding off until later than earlier anticipated.

Don't be fooled though - its definitely coming. Rain should break out right around midnight, and last through early Wednesday.

Behind the front, skies clear and winds will turn NW and that means - yup, you got it, colder temps will be the rule for Thursday with highs topping off right where they should be for this time of year - near 60.

Game 1 of the World Series is this Wednesday night. I'll be watching from home, taking breaks between studying advanced atmospheric dynamics and cloud physics. If you're a little luckier, you'll have tickets to the game at Fenway. The series opener starts at 8 pm, and right now conditions look to be mostly cloudy with temps right around 58F. Although the computer models have kept a chance for showers in the picture, I think the rain will be offshore by evening, so as it looks now, I don't expect any rain delays. We'll have another update for you tomorrow.

Enjoy the beautiful weather Thursday and Friday because right now the weekend is looking cloudy with scattered showers.

Now for the Lowell Regional Forecast:

Tonight: Cloudy, with showers developing. SW winds at 10-20 mph, with gusts up to 35 turning NW towards morning.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with rain likely in the morning. Cooler, with a high near 60.

Sox(8p.m. Wed): Mostly cloudy and 58F.

Wednesday Night: Clearing and cooler. Lows near 39.

Thursday: Sunny and beautiful. Seasonable temperatures, with highs near 61

Friday: Continued mostly sunny. High 62.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High 63.

Sunday: Cloudy with lingering showers possible. High 60.

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

Last day of 80s?



The water vapor satellite image (click to enlarge) above depicts the amount of water content held in mid-atmospheric layers, with dark blue/pink areas being very moist, and yellow areas being very dry.

The moist air ahead of a boundry system currently over the Great Lakes will be in our area tomorrow - which means more humid conditions and a chance for showers.

Note the bright pinks and blues over the Gulf Coast, where very moist air is contributing to a severe weather threat. A tornado watch is in effect for that area.

Today's recorded high temperature at the Umass Lowell Weather Observatory was 79F - 19 degrees above average for this time of year. Many areas of the region hit or eclipsed the 80 degree mark today - the mercury topped of at 83 just to our north inNashua. With crystal blue skies and warm, summer-like temperatures, it was an October beach day if I've ever seen one.

But, this is New England, and as the popular saying goes, if you don't like the weather - wait a minute.

Tomorrow will begin the transition to more seasonable temperatures, as a cold front slides to our east during the afternoon, ushing in some cooler air for midweek. Computer models have been cranking out the winds tomorrow, so be advised that we could see gusts up to 30 mph from the SW come tomorrow afternoon ahead of the front.

Our next big weather maker will be towards the end of the week. A meandering upper level disturbance currently bringing severe weather to the Gulf Coast will track oh-so-slowly northward, and could help to generate some rainfall just in time for late saturday/sunday. The atmospheric dynamics are rather similar to last weekends quick-hitting rainmaker, so at this point it does not look to be a prolonged heavy rain event, but some downpours could be affecting the region come Saturday Night.

And now, here's the forecast.

Greater Lowell Forecast:

Tonight: Partly cloudy and mild. Areas of fog possible toward dawn. Night-time lows will be closer to expected highs this time of year (60F), with temps only dipping to 55 by morning.

Tomorrow: Increasing clouds, with showers likely by afternoon. High near 72. SW winds will be busy, especially in the afternoon, with gusts up to 30 mph.

Tomorrow Night: Mostly cloudy with evening showers likely. Low near 51.

Wednesday: Morning clouds followed by afternoon clearing. Slight chance of an early shower. Cooler, with highs near 64.

Thursday: Sunny and seasonable. High 59.

Extended Outlook

Friday: Mostly sunny. A tad warmer, with highs in the lower 60s.

Saturday: Becoming mostly cloudy, with showers possible later in the day. Highs in the lower 60s.

For WUML Lowell 91.5 FM, I'm Umass Lowell Student Meteoroloist and WUML weather director John Webster.

Mother Nature, Confused?



Forecast high temperatures will be well above average in the eastern third of the nation tomorrow, with afternoon highs approaching 80 near Lowell.






In the meantime, fall foliage is peaking across the area.


Once again, anomalously high temperatures are in the cards for Southern New England over the next couple days as Mother Nature apparently forgot to take her medication this morning.


Served up alongside some peak foliage viewing will be temperatures more typical of late August, with upper 70s to near 80 quite common across the region this afternoon and especially tomorrow. So if you are heading out for a scenic tour, put away your sweater and grab your Shorts!


An area of high pressure will continue to dominate our weather over the next couple days, as SW winds keep us abnormally mild. The weather pattern over the last few weeks has been more indicative of mid-summer, with High Pressure frequently sliding off the East Coast of the US, pumping in warm and mild air - much like the "Bermuda High" that so often supplies us with steamy temperatures in mid - summer.


Our average temperature for this time of year is right around 61 degrees, and we will likely be close to 20 degrees above that come Monday afternoon. For those of you who already put away the summer clothes, don't panic yet - a return to more seasonable conditions appears likely for the end of the work week. Unfortunately, cloudy and damp conditions will accompany the cooler temperatures.


We will also be watching a possible storm developing over the Eastern Seaboard and sliding up to our neck of the woods for next Friday, although more recent computer model runs are backing away from this scenario. We'll keep you posted.


And now for the Lowell Regional Forecast:


Rest of this afternoon: Mostly sunny and very warm. High near 74.


Tonight: Clear, Cool, and Calm. As temperatures drop to the dew point, there could be some patchy fog towards morning. Low 43.


Monday: By far, the pick of the week. Sunny and HOT by October standards, with temperatures near 80 during the afternoon. SW winds 5-10 mph.


Monday Night: Clear and not as cool. Low 51.


Tuesday: Morning sun followed by increasing
cloudiness. Chance of an afternoon shower. Still warm, with highs near 73.


Wednesday: Mostly cloudy and cooler. Slight chance of morning shower. High near 63.


Extended Outlook


Thursday: Continued Cloudy. Highs near 55.


Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers. High near 60.


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

A sprawling storm system tracking northwest over the great lakes will influence our weather later this week with warm temperatures and showers.

Warmer Temperatures on the Horizon

Today's beautiful fall weather is hard to beat. With crystal blue skies, warm sunshine, and temperatures in the lower 60s, conditions were just perfect for October across the greater Lowell region.


A large storm system moving slowly over the Great Lakes and into Canada will begin to affect our area by the tail end of the week and into the first part of the weekend. Winds out ahead of the system are from the southwest, and those winds will be ushering in some warmer air by the end of the week. However, along with the warmer temperatures, we will likely see some rain and even possibly a thunderstorm come late Thursday and into Saturday.


To our readers north of town, the National Weather Service has issued a FROST ADVISORY for southern coastal New Hamphire.


Temperatures just north of the Massachusetts border will dip down very close to the freezing mark tonight, with clear skies and light winds allowing for radiational cooling. Cover any tender vegetation, or bring it indoors if you can.


Patchy frost is a possibility in some of the lower lying areas in northern Massachusetts as well, although this does not look to be a widespread event.


And now for the forecast:



Tonight: The "Triple Cs!" Clear Cool and Calm. Low near 35.


Wednesday: Patchy morning fog. A couple areas may see some frost on the pumpkin as well. Mostly clear in the morning, with increasing cloudiness by afternoon. Highs near 65.


Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. Not as cold, with lows near 45.


Thursday: Mostly cloudy and warmer. Slight chance of a shower. Highs near 70.


Friday: Continued mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers. During the overnight, some of the showers could contain heavy downpours and even a rumble of thunder. High 72.


Extended Outlook


Saturday: Cloudy with a chance of showers, especially in the morning. High 71.


Sunday: Pick of the weekend! Morning clearing giving way to afternoon sunshine. High near 68.


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

Video showing the evolution of colder Sea Surface Temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which could impact our weather this winter. Click to play.

Seasonable Temperatures for the Upcoming Week

Good afternoon to all. The forecast for the upcoming work week looks rather uneventful, with seasonable temperatures and nice weather to start the week. As a low pressure system forms over the Great Plains and slides to our northwest later in the week, it could bring in some slightly warmer air and unsettled weather with the chance of a couple showers just in time for next weekend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently released its seasonal climate outlook, which predicts a warmer and drier winter than usual across much of the nation. This prediction is made in part by oceanic temperature trends in the Pacific Ocean; a cooler ocean current (La Nina) usually leads to drier than normal winters across the US, especially in southern parts of the country. This isn't good news to our drought stricken friends in the South. For more info, follow this link: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/20071009_outlook.html

What does La Nina mean for us? Hard to say, because La Nina's influence is not as strong up in the Northern parts of the country, however it could mean a drier than average winter for us. Don't be fooled though - we have had some whopper snowstorms in a La Nina pattern. Cold, dry storms have impacted our region under this La Nina regime, and have yielded some hefty snowfall totals of dry, fluffy, wind driven snow. As always, the WUML weather team will be on the lookout for any Nor'Easters as fall turns into winter.

But for now, things look beautiful. The nights are cool, the days are warm, and peak foliage will quickly begin to overspread our area over the next week or so as conditions are almost ideal for leaves to lose their chorophyll and turn bright shades of red, orange, and yellow owing to the sugars already present in the leaves. Perhaps next time we can explore the "changing of the leaves" in detail. For now, lets get to the local forecast.

Greater Lowell Forecast:

Tonight: Mostly clear and cool. Patchy frost in areas well north and west of town (Concord NH, points North and West). Low 39.

Monday: Partly to Mostly Sunny. High 60.

Monday Night: Clear and cool once again. Low near 39.

Tuesday: Pick of the week! Sunny and seasonable, High near 61.

Wednesday: Partly Cloudy. A tad warmer with highs near 63.

Thursday: Patchy morning fog, becoming partly cloudy by afternoon. Slight chance of an evening shower. High 64.

Extended Outlook:

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High near 67.

Saturday: Continued Cloudy with showers possible. Highs again near 67.

For 91.5 FM this is WUML weather director and Umass Lowell student meteorologist John Webster. Have a great week everyone!

Current radar at 6p.m. shows a slug of heavy rain poised to overspread Massachusetts


Rain, Rain......
.....We Need It! (a little)

A relatively quick hitting, although heavy slug of rain will affect the area overnight and the first part of tomorrow

As advertised earlier in the week, a coastal low is currently forming over the Atlantic and is set to pivot North-Northwestward over the next day or so bringing more of the soggy stuff to our neck of the woods.

The good news:

1. We need the rain.

After a very dry summer, we have been making up for some lost rain in October. For the year, we are ALMOST at average, with 32.57" of rain having fallen to date - about .75 " below the norm. We should close that gap significantly after Friday's storm departs.

and for you Sox fans

2. The rain looks to be GONE by the time the first pitch is thrown out at Fenway (~7 p.m. Friday), as we get into the dry slot of the storm. However, the winds will pick up out of the WNW, gusting close to 25 mph at times later in the evening. Could make things interesting on the mound tomorrow night.

After our coastal friend departs by Friday afternoon, conditions will remain a little unsettled through the first part of the weekend as cold air aloft will allow the possibility of an afternoon shower for Saturday. By Sunday and thereafter, our weather turns picture perfect for this time of year - with crisp nights and warm days, topped off with mostly sunny skies. Doesn't get much better than that!

No frost on the pumpkin in the forecast quite yet - we'll keep you updated as to when the first frost arrives.

And now for the detailed Lowell Area forecast:

Tonight: Cloudy. Rain becoming steadier, with heavier downpours and even an embedded thunderstorm possible. Low near 53.

Friday: Cloudy with morning rain, tapering off by early afternoon. Becoming partly cloudy by evening, with WNW winds at 10-15 mph gusting up to 25 mph for the latter half of the evening. High near 57.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy and continued breezy. Cool, with lows near 37.

Saturday: Partly sunny. High near 63.

Sunday: The pick of the weekend. Mostly sunny, light winds, and highs near 60.

Extended Outlook

Monday: Mostly sunny. High 60.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High 59.

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

Fall Foliage Painting the Town Red

(scroll down for your local Lowell Weather Forecast)

Hello and apologies for the gap in blog posts. Technical issues coupled with a busy senior class schedule resulted in the blog being neglected the last couple days.

That being said, foliage season is getting into full-swing up in North Country, and bright splashes of color are popping up in the Lowell Metro area as well. Right now and over the next week or so, leaf peeping will be right around peak up through the White Mountains and the higher elevations of central New Hampshire. For a great drive, I highly recommend the Kankamagus Highway in New Hampshire - a scenic stretch through the National Forests of New Hampshire. Unblemished by buildings and flanked by the craggy peaks of the White Mountains, you can't go wrong.

While the fall colors drip southward, our weather pattern has shifted to match. Saturday's highs in the 80s are a thing of the past, and its quite possible we won't see temperatures that high until next year. The jet stream has shifted southward the last couple days, bringing New England into the storm track. That means - yup, you guessed it - cooler temperatures and unsettled weather will be plaguing the region over the course of the workweek.

A rather potent upper level low will slowly drift ESE from the Great Lakes over the next couple of days, helping to spawn a weak surface low pressure off the coast of New England. As it meanders eastward, clouds and a chance for showers will remain in the forecast through Wednesday. Another system may affect the area with even more rain on Friday.

And now for the forecast:

Lowell Area Forecast

Tonight: Becoming Cloudy. Showers will move in from the west - some of which could contain heavy downpours. Low 50.

Tomorrow: Morning rain. Cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. High near 63.

Tomorrow Night: Cloudy with areas of fog. Chance of a shower. Low 52.

Thursday: Continued cloudy and dreary. Patchy showers/drizzle possible. High of 60.

Thursday Night: Cloudy. Chance of rain developing towards morning. Low near 50.

Friday: A storm system may affect the area. Stay tuned for future updates, as this is the all important game 1 for the pennant. As it looks now, Fenway could be wet for game time. Cloudy and raw, with rain, possibly tapering off by evening. Winds turning NW and becoming gusty. High near 55.

Weekend Outlook

Saturday: Finally a break in the unsettled trend. Morning clouds, becoming partly sunny by afternoon. High near 57.

Sunday: Partly Cloudy. Highs approaching 60.

This is WUML Weather Director and student meteorologist John Webster for WUML Lowell 91.5 FM.