After sweltering in triple-digit temperatures, the region may soon be back to more bearable summer days.
Forecasts show a return to decidedly seasonable weather by the weekend, but sunbathers will have to endure a few rounds of rain before the skies turn clear.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through 8 p.m. Tuesday, warning that heat index values could reach up to 100 degrees at the time. It wasn’t a local or even regional warning: The severe weather alert applied to nearly all of Massachusetts, as well as parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The advisory came with urgent reminders: stay hydrated, seek air conditioning, avoid strenuous outdoor activity, and check on the most susceptible of people such as children, the elderly, and those with medical conditions.
To combat an expected high of 90 degrees Tuesday, a cold front was expected to wash over the region overnight, according to Caitlyn Mensch, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Norton.
Midweek may bring rain showers, thunderstorms, and strong winds, she said. Merrimack Valley residents could experience thunder both on Wednesday and Thursday, with a 50% chance of rain.
The precipitation will bring temperatures down as daytime highs fall from what has been in the 90s to the lower 70s Wednesday.
“Parts of the region could experience winds from 30 to 50 miles per hour. Anything above 60 miles per hour is unlikely, but localized gusts — that wouldn’t be for long — could be more extreme,” Mensch said.
Finally folks will have a cool breeze to offset the recent heat wave, but the much-needed wet weather brings chances, although very minor, of flash flooding in the area.
Mensch said while the region is under flood watch, it is also at a more “marginal risk” compared to more southern Massachusetts communities.
Greater Haverhill Emergency Communications Response Team released its own advisory given this week’s conditions.
“There is the potential for any rain to fall in downpours and flash flooding may occur. Not a guarantee but it’s there due to the atmosphere being like a sponge with a ton of moisture,” the organization said.
The National Weather Service describes it as high amounts of moisture combined with a cold front slowly passing through the region.
But by Friday, residents can expect a return to partly sunny conditions, with highs in the low 80s this coming weekend.
While the week’s weather may seem erratic, Mensch said, it’s not entirely unusual for the region. Mother nature has shown similar patterns in the past, with hot-and-cold events occurring about once every two years, according to the meteorologist.
The summer so far has handed out many hot weekdays followed by washed-out weekends of storms. But for now, a gray sky might be a warm welcome for a little relief.