We are in the midst of some beautiful weather this week, with sunshine and seasonable temperatures in the mid-60s. That’s all about to change.
An early season Nor’easter will impact all of New England in some way this weekend. The exact track and intensity of the storm will determine exactly what type of weather you end up having.
That’s causing cities and towns across Massachusetts to brace for heavy rain and damaging wind starting Friday night.
The most unusual thing about this Nor’easter is that it’s occurring at the end of September. Nor’easters can actually occur at any time of the year. They are not necessarily snowstorms, but rather low-pressure areas that move up the coastline, bringing wind from the northeast that’s often accompanied by heavy precipitation.
As the storm approaches, Friday night showers and steady rain will start to overspread the area. A more northerly track would put the heaviest rain over northern Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. A more southerly track puts the heavier precipitation in southern New England, perhaps greater Boston. A track even further south would keep the heaviest precipitation across the mid-Atlantic. A track further offshore keeps the heaviest rain out over the fish before pinwheeling it into New England.
As of Wednesday afternoon, New Englanders should plan on an increasingly wet Friday night and a very wet Saturday — especially Saturday night and the first part of Sunday.
Since it’s only Wednesday, the axis of heaviest precipitation can change, so later forecasts will be able to better determine exactly where the heavy rain is going to be.
Wind and wave action will also be a factor with the storm. Tides will get increasingly higher over the weekend, and the wind coming off the water for several high tide cycles will likely cause beach erosion even if the core of the storm never reaches the coastline.
Because the leaves are still on the trees, there could be power outages in those areas that receive winds of over 40 miles an hour.
Scituate Town Administrator Jim Boudreau said Wednesday that he’s expecting a lot of tree damage.
“Forty to 50 mile an hour winds with a lot of rain, and the trees have full tree canopies. We’re expecting limbs down, we’re expecting power outages and debris from those,” he said.
Boudreau said the town has already started deploying crews to prepare for the storm.
“The DPW is cleaning catch basins, looking for any low limbs that they might have to deal with,” he said. “We also made a decision that we’ll be putting in our tide gates on our beaches, our stairs to keep the tides from coming up and out.”
The town is pre-positioning high-water vehicles, and working to determine how much staff to bring in. In the meantime, he says residents should make sure their generators work ahead of the weekend, and stay inside during the storm.
In Boston, the Public Works Highway Division is planning to have additional staff this weekend to support the Boston Water and Sewer and Parks and Recreation, since their teams will be most affected by the storm.
“With heavy winds and rain expected, Boston Water Sewer Commission crews monitor flooding and catch basins, while Parks and Recreation has dedicated crews prepared to respond to any downed trees across Boston,” said Chris Coakley, a spokesperson for the Boston Public Works Department.
The city’s Water and Sewer Commission is planning for the Nor’easter to last between 72 and 96 hours.
“While rain totals are not predicted to be overwhelming, we will have additional staff and resources deployed throughout the weekend to handle flooding issues that may arise,” said Dolores Randolph, spokesperson for the commission.
MBTA Communications Director Joe Pesaturo said ferry service to and from both Lynn and Quincy will likely be canceled this week, citing “safety of paramount importance.”
“Assessing conditions day-to-day, the MBTA may announce impacts on other ferry routes this week,” he said. “When decisions are made about ferry services for this weekend, public announcements will be made.”
The storm will pull away Sunday night and slowly we will see improving and increasingly milder air for next week. There are even some 70-degree days that are going to return, giving us something to look forward to after a rather unsettled weekend ahead.
