The weather pattern has certainly changed this week and we are focusing on the next storm ready to hit New England.

For Patriots’ fans, the next area of low pressure will affect the game, bringing at least a few showers and perhaps some heavy downpours on Sunday.  If you have outdoor work, you should plan it for the first part of the weekend.

Friday is looking fantastic, with plenty of sunshine and seasonably cool temperatures that will be mostly a few degrees either side of 60 this afternoon.  This is one of two really nice days we have before clouds and wet weather return Sunday.

FAST-MOVING JET STREAM

The jet stream is moving quite rapidly across the United States and will pick up a storm system over the Southeast and bring it up through New England on Sunday.

Earlier forecasts called for the storm to reach the area Sunday night, but now, because of the speed of the atmosphere, it looks like Sunday’s weather will go downhill much faster.  You should expect rain and wind to move in during the day.

HOW MUCH RAIN AND WIND?

How much wind and rain will northern New England receive? As the storm tracks through the area, there will be a windy side and a wet side of the storm.

The exact track of the system will put certain areas on the wetter side and other areas on the windier side. It’s not a tropical storm but it’s similar to one.

Based on the latest computer guidance, the heaviest rain will stay west of the coastline and Down East will receive the least rain. Areas out toward the Vermont/New Hampshire border will receive the most. A wobble in the storm as it pushes through the area would mean different rainfall amounts for different areas.

The threat of wind reaching damaging levels exists, especially along the coastline. However, although the winds at, say, 2,000 feet, will be quite strong, that strength may not mix down to the surface, so we’re more likely to see winds in the 15-30 mph range along the coastline. 

I would use the term breezy to describe conditions over the interior. This is good news because with the leaves still on the trees, stronger winds would cause more power outages and some damage.

Because the storm system is moving so fast, it’s also going to move out quicker and making it less likely the Monday morning commute will be rainy. There still could be an early-morning shower but the trend Monday is going to be for clearing skies and seasonably cool temperatures. The dry weather should last into the middle of next week.