Weekend weather: What you need to know for every activity you have planned
Showers are in the forecast, but Saturday and Sunday will be far from a washout.
It’s been one of the drier summers so far, and that pattern is sticking around. This weekend, however, you can expect some rain icons on your smartphone. If you take these at face value, you might think the weekend is going to be a washout, but with some careful planning and a bit of luck, you’ll be able to enjoy hours of dry outdoor weather and not see much rain at all.
The high temperature forecast for Saturday. Note how cool it will be along the coastline.
If you’re going hiking, biking, or running…
It’s best to give the radar a quick look before heading out this weekend. Saturday will be a mostly cloudy day, and there may be hit-or-miss showers in the morning and again late in the day or overnight. For example, you might go on a five-mile run and get wet during a small portion of the run while noticing other areas that remain totally dry.
If you’re going beaching and boating…
Northshore, New Hampshire Seacoast, and Maine: Saturday isn’t a beach day. There will be a lot clouds, and while the sun may make an appearance briefly, showers are possible at any time. The farther north you go, the better chance of showers and cooler temperatures. Water temperatures are still chilly in this area, mostly in the low 60s or 50s along the Maine coast.
Cape Cod and the Islands: It doesn’t appear that there will be much rain in this area throughout the weekend, although I can’t rule it out.
Expected rainfall through Sunday morning. Notice most of the rain will fall over western New England
If you’re playing soccer, softball, baseball, or golf…
Saturday’s forecast: For those areas—mostly in western and central New England—that see any early downpours, fields will be wet. Otherwise, the grass should be dry. In the afternoon, though, more showers could cross the area.
Sunday’s outlook: There’s a chance of showers in the morning. The best weather will be in the afternoon—that’s when there’s the highest possibility of sunshine.
If you’re gardening…
A few of you have gotten some rain the past few days, but most areas haven’t seen a drop. Regardless, the drought is still firmly in place, and watering is the most important thing you can do, especially for any plants that have been put in the ground during the past year.
If you’re running errands…
If you’ve been neglecting certain chores during the past three weekends of super weather, this is a great weekend to take advantage of the clouds and chance of showers and get some of them done. Head out Saturday and Sunday morning—that’s when you can expect the most clouds and greatest chance of showers.
If you’re hosting or attending any outdoor event…
It’s nerve-racking to be planning an event and see showers in the forecast. But unless you need a 100-percent guarantee that it’s not going to rain, I wouldn’t cancel something for this weekend. These patterns can be very fickle. The highest risk of showers for this weekend is west of Route 128, and the driest weather will be over Cape Cod.
I will be updating the forecast on Twitter @growingwisdom throughout the weekend.
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