Dave Epstein's forecast: Rain and wind for Head of the Charles

A team in a row boat travels through somewhat choppy waters. — FILE - Hobart College's crew team row in the men's collegiate eights during the Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass., in October 2015.

Gal Tziperman Lotan is a digital producer for GBH’s Morning Edition.

Dave Epstein is a meterologist who partners with GBH News to provide daily weather updates and weekly higher-level conversations on Morning Edition.

October 19, 2023

Jeremy Siegel: You're listening to GBH's Morning Edition, and in the words of John Snow, winter is coming.

Kit Harington [previously recorded]: But winter is coming. We know what's coming with it. We can't face it alone.

Paris Alston: Oh, my goodness. I'm so sad. I can't. I'm not. I will never be ready for winter to come.

Siegel: We've still got a little bit of time, and we can't face it.

Alston: Yes, it's true. But even though it is a little far away, the first frost is finally on its way. It's a little late in the season for this. And this weekend is the head of the Charles. So to talk more about what we can expect for the weekend, we are joined by our meteorologist, our weather guy and our plant expert, Dave Epstein. Hey there, Dave. Good to see you.

Dave Epstein: Hey, good morning. Good morning, Paris. Good morning, Jeremy. Good to see you.

Siegel: So before we get to the frost in the winter and all, Dave, let's start with what's happening this weekend ahead of the Charles. Thousands of people will be lined along the banks of the Charles River to watch the annual event. What can we expect for this weekend? Are people out watching the boats going to get rained on?

Epstein: Yeah, definitely. Friday starts with the senior events and it goes all the way through until Sunday when you have the finals, and you have a lot of colleges around over the weekend, especially, with their tents and everything else. Friday, there'll be some showers starting to develop in the afternoon. There won't be much wind. It'll be generally in the 60s, so fairly comfortable, but folks may get a little bit wet, who are just watching the regatta at that point. On Saturday, pretty good chance of showers in the morning. There may be a little bit of a gap in showers for a few hours, late morning into early afternoon before more showers arrive. I'm not sure about that gap. I would just plan on the fact that it's probably going to be showery the entire day, but you might be able to sort of fold up the umbrella for a little bit there on Saturday. So that's that issue. Temperatures in the 60s. Then Sunday, there might be a couple of showers in the morning. But the bigger issue on Sunday is the wind. And the wind for the rowers is actually a bigger issue than the rain itself. I mean, they don't want to get wet. But it's going to be windy out of the northwest. So the Charles will become quite choppy, especially in the afternoon, with those gusty northwesterly winds.

Alston: Ooh. Well, good luck to anyone who is rowing and also anyone who's going out to spectate. Stay dry out there this weekend. So, Dave, it wasn't that long ago, I think the last time we spoke to you, we were talking about the frost and how delayed it has been. Do we have a better sense of when it's coming down?

Epstein: Yeah. So it's been a very late season, one of the latest seasons on record in terms of frost and below 32 across much of New England. I mean there hasn't been a frost widespread, you know, even in northern New England. Pretty amazing for how long this growing season is. It's not going to happen this weekend, and it will not happen Sunday night either. But Monday night, behind this weather system, colder is going to get dragged in. So if we're going to see a frost here before November, it would be Tuesday. I think the best chance is from 128 and West. Everybody will not see one. But if you have tropical plants especially — some plants can handle a light frost, I have a banana plant, for example, that's outside on the patio — that's got to come in. So one of the things I'm going to be doing today in anticipation of the wet weather is getting that prepped. I'll be spraying with horticultural oil, moving that inside for its winter home. And I will be doing that with all the tropicals. If you do not get a frost or you just want to cover things up Monday night into Tuesday, I think things actually stay very mild next week. We're actually going to be back in the 60s by the middle of next week for some beautiful weather, warmer than average as well. So it's just one shot of a chance of frost and you will not hear a frost warning from 128 west, even though it's going to occur because it's so late. The weather service basically says, hey, it's late enough, we're not going to warn you about anything because this is not abnormal for it to occur. So there will not be frost warnings for this.

Siegel: Dave, I just want to go back to one thing you mentioned there when you said you were bringing in some plants. Did you say you have a banana plant? Is that like growing bananas?

Epstein: Yeah.

Siegel: Like, you actually grow bananas that you can peel and eat?

Epstein: It doesn't have the little bananas on it, but it's ornamental. It looks like a banana plant.

Alston: Yes. Okay, I've heard it.

Epstein: It's a banana plant. If I, you know, if I lived in the tropics and put it in the ground, it would eventually get bananas. But they are very pretty. I keep it fairly small. I'll take a picture of it, Jeremy. I'll tweet it this morning. And I'll put you guys on it.

Siegel: All right. Well, be sure to check out @GrowingWisdom. @GrowingWisdom is Dave's handle on Twitter, X, or whatever you call it. That was meteorologist Dave Epstein joining us about the first frost and the head of the Charles. Dave, thanks so much.

Epstein: Have a great morning.

Alston: You are listening to GBH News.

It was a long, hot, rainy summer. But as the end of October approaches, so do signs of a Boston fall: changing leaves, cooler air, spectators and rowers coming into town for the Head of the Charles Regatta, and perhaps even a frost.

People coming in for the Head of the Charles this weekend should expect a bit of rain starting on Friday afternoon, GBH’s meteorologist and plant expert Dave Epstein told Morning Edition co-hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel.

“It'll be generally in the 60s, so fairly comfortable, but folks may get a little bit wet who are just watching the regatta at that point,” Epstein said.

Saturday will likely bring more showers and highs in the 60s, he said.

“There may be a little bit of a gap in showers for a few hours, late morning into early afternoon, before more showers arrive,” Epstein said. “I'm not sure about that gap. I would just plan on the fact that it's probably going to be showery the entire day, but you might be able to sort of fold up the umbrella for a little bit there on Saturday.”

Sunday might see some more rain, but the bigger issue will be wind.

“The wind for the rowers is actually a bigger issue than the rain itself,” he said. “It's going to be windy out of the northwest. So the Charles will become quite choppy, especially in the afternoon, with those gusty northwesterly winds.”

A dry leaf on the grass, covered in white frost. — Frost coats leaves on a crisp autumn morning in Marlborough, Mass.

As the weekend comes to an end, Epstein said, he’ll be turning his attention to his non-native outdoor plants. This year’s growing season has been a long one, he said — one of the latest frosts on record.

“Monday night, behind this weather system, cold air is going to get dragged in,” he said. “So if we're going to see a frost here before November, it would be Tuesday. I think the best chance is from [Route] 128 and west.”

People who have tropical plants — like the banana plant Epstein keeps on his patio — will want to bring them inside, he said.

“I'll be spraying with horticultural oil, moving that inside for its winter home. And I will be doing that with all the tropicals,” he said. “If you do not get a frost or you just want to cover things up Monday night into Tuesday, I think things actually stay very mild next week. We're actually going to be back in the 60s by the middle of next week for some beautiful weather, warmer than average as well.”