Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
000
FXUS61 KBOX 231726
AFDBOX
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
126 PM EDT Tue Jun 23 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
No changes to the forecast at this time.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Showers expected to continue today with some embedded thunder
and heavier downpours possible.
- Drier through midweek. Turning mostly cloudy, humid and
unsettled by late this week into the weekend. Though it won't
be raining all the time, chances for showers/storms will exist
on most days Fri- Sat, but severe weather potential looks very
limited.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Showers expected to continue today with some
embedded thunder and heavier downpours possible.
Showers will continue to impact southern New England today as
another wave tracks over the region. Latest mesoanalysis has an area
of increased moisture transport at 925 mb from the S/SW, so showers
moving into this area over RI and SE MA may intensify and produce
higher rainfall rates, especially as any pockets of MUCAPE are
encountered. Based on the latest guidance, a more south track for
the next wave is favored with heavier, more widespread rain
remaining mostly to the south of southern New England. The exception
would be along the south coast and into the Cape and Islands where
heavier showers remain possible. PWATs over this area heading into
the afternoon hours are also forecast around 2.0-2.10". High-res
guidance also has some MUCAPE over much of SE MA into the Cape and
Islands through the afternoon, which would help produce periods of
heavier downpours and some embedded thunder within any showers that
develop. The RAP also has a burst of some elevated MUCAPE values
over Cape Cod early this morning that could favor thunder there.
With the showers we've seen overnight producing occasional lightning
and heavier downpours in CT and now heading into RI, this is not out
of the question. With regards to totals, thinking has not changed
much as totals in the 1-2" range remain the main expectation with
this system. Flash flooding is not a widespread concern considering
the drought conditions we've been experiencing, but flashier areas
including urban and poor drainage areas may see some flooding under
any heavier rainfall rates. With persistent cloud cover today, highs
will likely not climb higher than the 70s.
Rain should clear out of the region heading into tonight as the wave
moves offshore, though showers may linger early tonight over the
Cape and Islands. Winds shift NW and drier air makes its way into
the region in the wake of the passing cold front, which will
also aid in clearing remaining cloud cover heading into
Wednesday. Lows tonight are expected to be in the upper 50s and
low 60s.
KEY MESSAGE 2...KEY MESSAGE 2...Drier through midweek. Turning mostly
cloudy, humid and unsettled by late this week into the weekend.
Though it won't be raining all the time, chances for showers/storms
will exist on most days Fri-Sat, but severe weather potential
looks very limited.
After the cold front pulls away later tonight, we get into a drier
weather pattern Wed onward thru the daytime hrs Thurs.
Our weather pattern then turns more unsettled for late in the week
into at least the early part of the weekend. Broadly-cyclonic, quasi-
zonal pattern with enhanced westerly 500 mb flow stretches from the
Gt Lakes region to the Northeast states in this period. Salient
large-scale features in this period by early Thurs night include one
mid-level shortwave trough over the Gt Lakes region, another weaker
500 mb disturbance near the central Plains, with an elongated, quasi-
stationary frontal boundary draping itself from the OH/mid-MS Valley
eastward to the mid-Atlantic/southern New England vicinity. Zonal
regimes like this one are typically prone to timing errors when it
comes to precip/thunder chances and are also sensitive to daily
convective details which are unknown at this time horizon.
Adding to that uncertainty is there are differences in the
strength of the initial/lead Gt Lakes shortwave, which influence
whether or not better rain chances move in by Thurs night. GFS
guidance is weaker/broader and thus more progressive with rain
chances into New England by Thursday night, while the
international guidance feature a stronger trough and is slower
to move PoP in until Fri.
I would rate confidence in the timing of rain/thunder chances later
this week into the weekend as lower than average, given the above
sources of uncertainty. Forecast carries a rather non-descript
Chance PoP for most of this timeframe; it won't be
raining/thundering the whole time, but ID'ing those periods is
subject to the timing details become more in-focus. That said, an
early estimate for rain/thunder chances is more centered into Fri
aftn/Fri evening with the lead shortwave, then increasing again into
at least the south coast to areas south of the Mass Pike Sat/Sat
night as the central Plains shortwave moves through or just south of
Southern New England. Although mid-level flow is seasonably strong,
much of this period is mostly cloudy and rather humid, but also one
with limited diurnal heating leading to weak instability. Indeed,
NSSL machine-learning severe weather progs offer tempered severe
weather probabilities on Fri. Wouldn't rule out a strong storm or
two on Fri, but early lean is that the prospects of storms becoming
severe seem limited.
High pressure and dry weather return for the weekend.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
18Z Update
Through 06Z
Moderate confidence at best.
Widespread MVFR/IFR ceilings with embedded MVFR/IFR vsbys in FOG
and -SHRA through 00Z. Some uncertainty with respect to timing
of improvements, but likely lingering MVFR for most of the
evening through about 06-08Z. Shower activity should wane after
00Z across the interior with Cape/Islands terminals experiencing
showers through 06-08Z.
06Z Tonight Through Tomorrow Night
Showers exit west to east between 06-09Z tonight. This will be
followed by VFR conditions, mainly clear skies, and light
northerly winds through tomorrow night.
KBOS Terminal...Moderate Confidence.
Low confidence with respect to timing of ceilings rising to
VFR, but most likely by 06-08Z.
KBDL Terminal...High Confidence.
Outlook /Wednesday Night through Sunday/...
Wednesday Night through Thursday: VFR.
Thursday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Chance
SHRA, slight chance TSRA.
Friday: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Breezy. SHRA
likely, slight chance TSRA.
Friday Night: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Chance SHRA.
Saturday: VFR. Chance SHRA, slight chance TSRA.
&&
.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
Through Wednesday...High confidence.
Rain and a few embedded storms continue before finally moving
off to the east this evening. Moderate to heavy rainfall at
times expected, resulting in poor visibility less than 1 mile at
times. Seas 2-4 ft with SW winds at 10-15 kt shifting NW in the
wake of a passing cold front this evening into tonight. Winds
then shift more SW for Wednesday, remaining around 10 kt.
Outlook /Wednesday Night through Sunday/...
Wednesday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of seas
approaching 5 ft.
Thursday through Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt.
Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Slight chance of rain showers,
slight chance of thunderstorms.
Friday Night through Saturday: Winds less than 25 kt. Chance of
rain showers, slight chance of thunderstorms.
&&
.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...None.
MA...None.
RI...None.
MARINE...None.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...Loconto/Hrencecin
AVIATION...RM
MARINE...Loconto/Hrencecin
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https://api.weather.gov/products/types/AFD/locations/BOX