Still in awe of what unfolded across Long Island this morning. No doubt that with a foot of rain falling (!!!), epic flooding and sheer volume of water coming out the sky, there will be case studies on what happened and how the weather models let this one slip through. (My take: they simply can’t resolve a freakish event of this kind…same goes for thundersnow in winter.)
In any event, that deluge seemed to fade as it moved up along 95, splitting in two and eventually fizzling out. But we weren’t to miss out on the opportunity for more downpours as new lines formed throughout the afternoon. Some of the hardest hit areas were from Gardner/Athol to Westhampton with up to 3-5+ of rain!
The grand finale was to wait until evening as a thunderstorm dislodged from Western Mass. and marched east along Rt. 2 and into the Merrimack Valley. Lightning, intense rain and some strong wind gusts accompanied the storm. Here’s a shot as it neared Shirley, Pepperell and Lancaster.
The biggest thing about this storm? The fact that it even formed at all. Typically don’t see this kind of system until well into September. In its wake, we’ll get back to sun and some semblance of summer…although I’m not pushing the temperatures all that much.
Drying northwest winds will finish off any lingering humidity and provide us with some pleasant days into the weekend. There’s a slim chance 30-40% of a passing sprinkle on Friday and Sunday, but I’m not too worked up about it.
Enjoy the peace and quiet.
Pete