Boston weather: Potential for severe thunderstorms in Friday’s forecast

More rain is on the way.

A father holds an umbrella decorated with characters from Disney's Toy Story, while his son stands to the left of him and looks at the camera.
Hail and flash flooding are also possible. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe

By Katelyn Umholtz

2 minutes to read

Brace yourselves, Boston: One of the wettest summers recorded since 1872 is about to bring more rain on Friday.

Isolated pockets of these storms are expected to be severe, with thunder and lightning as the main threat. The nearly all-day deluge could also bring with it damaging winds, pea-sized hail and even a lower but still present risk of flash flooding and tornadoes. 

Here’s what to expect and when to anticipate the stormy weather this Friday, according to the National Weather Service. 

When will it rain Friday?

NWS Boston meteorologist Matthew Belk said a warm front moves north through New England around midnight, and storms will follow shortly after. 

Advertisement:

Rainy weather and thunderstorms will last into Friday afternoon, potentially bringing three-quarters of an inch to an inch of rainfall. 

As early as 2 p.m., a cold front will then move in from the west, leading to drier, cooler conditions and putting an end to the worst of the severe weather. But Boston and especially southeast Massachusetts could still see a cluster of rain storms into the evening. 

Other threats in the forecast

The main concerns for tomorrow are the risk of thunderstorms and lighting, especially earlier in the day, according to Belk.

“If you’re outdoors, and you hear thunder, you are in range,” Belk said. “It’s probably time to go inside at that point. That’s the best advice we can give.”

Belk said damaging winds are the next biggest threat. The NWS forecast shows winds could gust up to 21 mph on Friday.

Advertisement:

Hail about half an inch in size, even an inch in areas that see the most severe storms, is also a concern. While a lower risk, flash flooding is still a possibility and the severity depends on how fast a storm moves over an area — though Belk did give some good news that the torrential rain is expected to move quickly over the region. 

Tornadoes are similarly a lower risk. 

More on Boston weather

As the warm front moves in, residents can expect the weather to be hot and muggy, with a high of 81 degrees. But once that cold front dries up the stormy air, Friday night will see a low of 60 degrees, and that drier, cooler weather will stay put through Saturday.

The forecast calls for a weekend of sunnier skies before it the potential for rain rolls in again Monday night.

Daily Local Weather Forecast

  • Today March 29
    Partly sunny
    Partly sunny
    50° 41°
  • Mon March 30
    Mostly cloudy
    Mostly cloudy
    63° 49°
  • Tue March 31
    Showers
    Showers
    61° 55°
  • Wed April 01
    Thunderstorms
    Thunderstorms
    75° 38°
  • Thu April 02
    Showers
    Showers
    41° 36°
  • Fri April 03
    Rain
    Rain
    45° 38°
  • Sat April 04
    Overcast
    Overcast
    44° 39°

powered by:

AccuWeather Logo
Profile image for Katelyn Umholtz

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com