Weather

Much-Needed Rain Will Fall Wednesday, But Won't Make Much Dent in Drought

We take a look at the timing and impact of Wednesday's expected rainfall in New England

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Lawns are burned to a crisp, plants are more than parched for a drink and dug wells are running dry in parts of New England — these are just a few of the multiple impacts from our drought.

We need rain, and Wednesday will deliver some to the region. By no means will this be a drought-busting event — we would need several inches just to put a dent in the deficit. But we'll take what we can get.

Timing

Showers develop on Cape Cod Tuesday evening and expand westward during the overnight into parts of southern and central New England. While generally light, rain will slow you down for the morning commute and linger much of the day in the northern half of the region.

After midday, rain will taper to showers in southern New England, though from the Route 2 corridor to the Merrimack Valley, some pockets of rain may linger until Wednesday evening.

Expect some showers to last through the day on Thursday in parts of northern New England, especially in central and northern Maine.

Totals

There is still considerable discrepancy in our guidance in how much rain we'll end up with; models range from a few hundredths to over an inch in some locations! That being said, our exclusive in house prediction system has a history of accuracy and is keying in on a general 0.25 to 0.5 inches for many (less in Connecticut) with around an inch in parts of Maine stretching into northern New Hampshire.

Wind and Waves

The wind won't be all that impressive with this storm, though northerly gusts to 25 mph inland and 35 mph at the coast will certainly be noticeable.

The waves will be building too; 4-to-8-foot breakers will batter the shore, resulting in localized beach erosion and dangerous conditions for surfers and swimmers. A high surf advisory is in effect for the coast of eastern Massachusetts to Nantucket.

Weekend Outlook

Have plans? It looks awesome! Friday, Saturday and Sunday will feature a beautiful summer stretch with highs in the middle 80s, a bit of humidity and sun and clouds.

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