forecast

Air quality impacts linger in New England amid Canadian wildfires

Most New England communities will see daytime high temperatures in the 60s the rest of this week

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While the worst has passed, wildfire smoke still meanders across the South Coast, Cape and Islands. We’ll likely experience hazy sunrises throughout Thursday morning and a slight impact on air quality.

The smoke is driven by an area of low pressure centered across Maine. Both the surface wind and the steering wind aloft driving the plumes of smoke are directly linked to a large, very-slow storm that continues to be stalled over Nova Scotia. As bundles of energy wrap around the storm’s counter-clockwise flow of air, dropping south over New England, rounds of clouds and showers blossom in that atmospheric energy, which is why our First Alert Team expects morning sprinkles and afternoon scattered showers to continue as the theme Thursday through Friday.

When enough difference between relatively warm surface air and cold sky air exists, as was the case Tuesday afternoon, thunder can develop within the showers, and we believe that possibility rises again Friday afternoon.

Most New England communities will see daytime high temperatures in the 60s the rest of this week, though there will be exceptions: cooler exceptions in the cloudiest spots of northern New England, and milder exceptions where the most sun is present in far southern New England.

The weekend brings improvement as the slow-moving storm over Atlantic Canada drifts east, so while a pop-up shower can’t be ruled out Saturday. Most of the day should be enjoyable for New England with highs rebounding to either side of 70 degrees and a blend of sun and clouds, then fantastic weather is expected Sunday as highs reach the 70s!

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