Special Weather Statement, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
729 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
No significant changes to the forecast overnight.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Heavy rainfall arrives late Tuesday, continuing overnight and through
  the evening on Wednesday. This will lead to potential street
  and flash flooding throughout that period. The heaviest rain
  in eastern New England is expected on Wednesday, with street
  flooding possible but less favored than further inland where a
  Flood Watch is in effect.

- Periodic rain chances continue especially on Thursday, but may
 linger into Friday.

- An uncertain weekend forecast but trends point to a building
  surface high pressure and rising mid level heights which would
  lead to a drier period than earlier in the week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Heavy rainfall arrives late Tuesday, continuing
overnight and through the evening on Wednesday. This will lead to
potential street and flash flooding throughout that period. The
heaviest rain in eastern New England is expected on Wednesday, with
street flooding possible but less favored than further inland where
a Flood Watch is in effect.

The focus for this week's forecast continues to be on an anomalously
deep mid-level low and the associated occluding surface low that
together will bring impressive moisture and dynamics to southern New
England over the next 48 hours. The mid level low digs into NY late
today, becoming closed off and very sluggish to go anywhere thanks
to a persistent blocking pattern. This will continue to plague us
through the work week as this low languishes over the northeast,
ever so slowly moving east and keeping unsettled weather around
through Friday. That being said, by far the best moisture and
dynamics line up later tonight through Wednesday evening. We'll have
a very moist airmass ahead of the frontal boundary with PWATs up to
1.7". Expecting impressive dynamics as well with strong mid level
divergence and upper diffluence along with low level convergence
from a 35-45kt LLJ. This will produce deep layer ascent leading to
widespread, at times heavy, rainfall.

Expected rainfall totals have not changed significantly since
yesterday, generally 2 to 3 inches of rain with locally higher
amounts. The most likely location of the higher totals will be in
the orographically favored interior of western MA and CT where a
Flood Watch remains in effect. Easterly flow into the Berkshires is
likely to enhance rainfall totals, while potential for training
storms (continually moving over the same location) leads to
increasingly likely issues with flooding. Timing for the heaviest
rain would begin as early as this afternoon for interior SNE, while
eastern MA is likely to stay dry until late Tuesday night/Wednesday
morning. Heavy rain will eventually move into these areas, in
eastern MA and RI during the day on Wednesday. Some instability
exists throughout with 500-1000 J/kg of CAPE which could lead to
some embedded thunder and convectively enhanced localized
downpours. Currently think flooding concerns are limited to
street flooding (urban/poor drainage variety) as no rivers are
currently progged to rise to flood stage.

Perpetual cloudcover and easterly flow off the cool ocean will keep
temperatures below normal, only reaching the low 70s on Wednesday.

KEY MESSAGE 2...Periodic rain chances continue especially on
Thursday, but may linger into Friday.

Previously mentioned vertically stacked low continues to slowly
meander east and while the best dynamics are no longer present,
PWATs remain elevated. This, together with the mid level PVA/mid
level shortwaves rounding the trough will keep scattered showers
around Thursday and even into Friday, though more scattered to
isolated. Temperatures continue to be depressed by clouds and E/NE
flow, in the low to mid 70s.

KEY MESSAGE 3...An uncertain weekend forecast but trends point to a
building surface high pressure and rising mid level heights which
would lead to a drier period than earlier in the week.

The synoptic pattern begins to finally show signs of breaking down
as ridging downstream is displaced and high pressure tries to build
over the northeast with some mid level height rises. Guidance is
still unsure of how persistent this ridging will be, so confidence
is low, but for now things at the very least look less unsettled
than the work week. No anomolous warm ups on the horizon.

&&

.AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

12z TAF Update:

Tuesday...Moderate confidence.

IFR/MVFR early for eastern/interior terminals improving to low
end VFR along with other terminals. Deteriorates to MVFR/IFR
after 18Z at BDL, expanding east through 00z. Increasing chance
for rainfall through the day. Low chance for embedded TSRA. SE
winds 10-13 kt with gusts to 20 kt in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night...Moderate confidence.

LIFR/IFR for most in periods of heavy rain. SE winds 5-10kt
with gusts to 20 kt possible.

Wednesday...Moderate confidence.

IFR/MVFR in continued periods of heavy rain. E winds 10-15 kts
with gusts to 25 kts possible.

KBOS Terminal...Moderate confidence.

KBDL Terminal...High confidence.

Outlook /Wednesday Night through Saturday/...

Wednesday Night: MVFR/IFR conditions possible. Breezy. SHRA,
slight chance TSRA.

Thursday: Mainly VFR, with areas IFR possible. Breezy. SHRA,
slight chance TSRA.

Thursday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas IFR possible. Chance
SHRA, slight chance TSRA.

Friday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Chance SHRA,
slight chance TSRA.

Friday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible.

Saturday: VFR.

&&

.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

Through Wednesday: High confidence.

Winds and seas to remain below small craft advisory levels
through the daytime hours on Tuesday. Southerly winds around 10
kt will be increasing to around 15-20 kt Tuesday, with seas
building to 3-4 ft. A few showers are possible on southern
waters during the Tuesday daytime hours.

Small craft advisories are in effect Tuesday evening into
Wednesday as south to southeast winds increase to around 25 to
30 kt and seas in the 4 to 7 ft range, highest offshore. Showers
and embedded thunderstorms can be expected through Wednesday
night. Winds and seas diminish Wednesday night.

Outlook /Wednesday Night through Saturday/...

Wednesday Night through Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt.
Seas up to 5 ft. Chance of rain showers.

Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas up to 5 ft. Slight chance
of rain showers.

Friday Night through Saturday: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of
seas approaching 5 ft.

&&

.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Flood Watch from 2 PM EDT this afternoon through Wednesday
     evening for CTZ002-003.
MA...Flood Watch from 2 PM EDT this afternoon through Wednesday
     evening for MAZ002-003-008>011.
RI...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 2 AM to 8 PM EDT Wednesday for
     ANZ230-231-251.
     Small Craft Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 8 PM EDT
     Wednesday for ANZ232>237.
     Small Craft Advisory from 2 AM Wednesday to 8 AM EDT Thursday
     for ANZ250.
     Small Craft Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 8 AM EDT
     Thursday for ANZ254>256.

&&

DISCUSSION...BW
AVIATION...McMinn
MARINE...BW

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1239 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

CTZ002-003-MAZ010-011-281730-
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Eastern Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-
1239 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSING MINOR FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...

At 1236 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of
thunderstorms with heavy rainfall from around Windsor Locks into the
Springfield area, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minimal. Water on roads or in low lying areas that flood
         easily.

Locations impacted include...
Springfield, Chicopee, Enfield, Vernon, Windsor, Agawam, West
Springfield, South Windsor, Ludlow, Longmeadow, Suffield, East
Longmeadow, Ellington, Tolland, Belchertown, Wilbraham, Windsor
Locks, Palmer, Stafford, and Somers.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Do not drive through flooded roads or underpasses.

&&

LAT...LON 4182 7247 4197 7278 4220 7257 4225 7230
      4214 7224
TIME...MOT...LOC 1636Z 212DEG 20KT 4195 7253

NASH

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
113 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

MAZ003-004-010>012-281815-
Southern Worcester MA-Eastern Hampden MA-Northern Worcester MA-
Eastern Franklin MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-
113 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...Thunderstorms with torrential rainfall causing minor flooding in
portions of central Massachusetts...

At 109 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of thunderstorms
stretching from near Amherst to east of Springfield around Monson.
These thunderstorms were producing very heavy rainfall as they
moved northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minimal. Water on roads and low lying areas that flood
         easily.

Locations impacted include...
Chicopee, Holyoke, Amherst, Northampton, Orange, Ludlow, Gardner,
South Hadley, Holden, Southbridge, Easthampton, Belchertown,
Wilbraham, Charlton, Palmer, Spencer, Athol, Leicester, Ware, and
Sturbridge.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Do not drive through flooded roads or underpasses.

&&

LAT...LON 4205 7203 4224 7265 4269 7244 4250 7184
TIME...MOT...LOC 1709Z 214DEG 19KT 4235 7243

NASH