It’s going to rain on Mother’s Day, but not as much as you might expect
Here are the best times to plan for outdoor activities.
As you make plans with Mom for Sunday, you may be wondering if it’s going to rain. The short answer is yes, but the good news is that it won’t be a rainy day.
A cold front will cross the area during the morning and in the early afternoon on Sunday. There is little doubt that there will be showers with this front. The rain will last about one to three hours, depending on your exact location and the speed of the frontal system. There won’t be a lot of rain—perhaps 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch. It’s certainly enough to get wet, but not enough to create problems with big road puddles or anything like that.
Ducks don’t mind the rain, but if you are walking in this year’s Duckling Day parade through the Boston Common and Public Garden, you should dress for showers. It’s unlikely that the entire parade will happen rain-free.
There are other events scheduled for Sunday, such as Lilac Sunday in the Arnold Arboretum, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and usually attracts quite a crowd. The rain showers should be moving through during the morning, but will be over before 3. Again, that timing for the showers isn’t exact, but they appear to be a mid-morning to early-afternoon event.
The annual Duckling Day Parade in 2015.
Breaking it down
Let’s look at some predictive radar images to get an idea of when the showers will be hitting on Sunday. The first image is for 5 a.m. Notice the showers are to the west of southern New England.
Predicted radar for 5 a.m. on Sunday May 8, 2016.
As we move forward a few hours, the showers have now pushed eastward and are falling west of Route 128. These images are static moments, but give an idea of how things will progress.
Predicted radar for 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
Around 11 a.m. to noon, the showers are falling in Boston, and this is likely the wettest period of the day.
Predicted radar for 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
Toward 2 p.m., the showers have moved eastward, and clearing is likely progressing eastward.
The sweet spot
Because the sun will set a bit before 8 p.m., you will have plenty of opportunity to get back outside after the rain ends. If you want to take Mom on a bike ride, for a hike, or to play a round of golf, you should be able to have at least four or five dry hours after the showers have stopped.
Temperatures should make it into the lower 60s on Sunday afternoon, much closer to typical early May averages and significantly warmer than the chilly conditions we saw this week.
Surface map for Sunday May 8, 2016.
And if you and Mom want to have a picture-perfect day of weather together, take off Monday—it looks like it will be a perfectly sunny and mild day. Go figure.
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