Conditions are favorable for strong to severe thunderstorms to develop in part of Southern New England Tuesday afternoon. A cold front sliding south will interact with warm, muggy air over Northern RI, Northern CT, Central MA, and SE MA to provide the breeding grounds for showers and thunderstorms to develop. As of 11 am, the temperature inland was approaching 80°, and dew points were in the low to mid 60s. Showers and thunderstorms were flaring up over Northern MA and Southern NH.
Close to the RI and SE MA coast, there is a lower likelihood of thunderstorms due to the onshore breeze and maritime air limiting the amount of instability in the atmosphere.
From the National Weather Service:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1022 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 CTZ002>004-MAZ002>019-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>004-211800- HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-WESTERN FRANKLIN MA- EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA- WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA- WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA- SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA- SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA- WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA- CHESHIRE NH-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH- WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI- SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-EASTERN KENT RI- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARTFORD...WINDSOR LOCKS...UNION... VERNON...PUTNAM...WILLIMANTIC...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD... ORANGE...BARRE...FITCHBURG...FRAMINGHAM...LOWELL...LAWRENCE... GLOUCESTER...CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST...NORTHAMPTON... SPRINGFIELD...MILFORD...WORCESTER...FOXBORO...NORWOOD... CAMBRIDGE...BOSTON...QUINCY...TAUNTON...BROCKTON...PLYMOUTH... AYER...JAFFREY...KEENE...MANCHESTER...NASHUA...PETERBOROUGH... WEARE...FOSTER...SMITHFIELD...PROVIDENCE...WEST GREENWICH... WARWICK 1022 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...SCATTERED STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON... A COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH FROM NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND WILL BECOME THE FOCUS FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALREADY FORMING IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE LATE THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL STORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND AFTER NOON...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MASS PIKE. SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL...IN ADDITION TO LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL. IF YOU HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS...HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO TO IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...SUCH AS A VEHICLE OR INSIDE A HOME OR BUILDING. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. $$ JWD
