Weather for New England and the Northeast

Area Forecast Discussion, National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA

Date and Time: 2:03 PM EDT Thursday, October 29, 2026

What Has Changed

Gusty northwest winds and the recent stretch of dry weather could increase fire weather concerns on Friday. Otherwise, there are no significant changes to the forecast.

Key Messages

- A dry cold front will move through tonight into early Friday morning, bringing breezy, cooler, and dry weather for Friday.
- High pressure will maintain quiet weather, potentially through late next week, with warmer than average highs in the 60s by Monday.

Discussion

Key Message 1: Dry Cold Front Arrives Tonight, Bringing Breezy and Cooler Weather Friday

High pressure continues to control our weather, bringing sunny skies and dry conditions. Temperatures have climbed back into the 60s, with a few locations reaching the lower 70s, helped by southwest winds.

A dry cold front is currently extending from central Quebec through Michigan and will cross Southern New England overnight into early Friday morning. The front has very little moisture available and is moving into an area that has not seen meaningful rainfall in quite some time. As a result, the main impact should be increased cloud cover overnight, with a few sprinkles possible at most.

Southwest winds around 10 mph overnight will keep temperatures milder than they have been during the past few nights. Overnight lows are expected to range from the mid 40s to mid 50s.

The cold front should move offshore early Friday morning. Behind it, colder and drier air will move into the region, bringing breezy conditions through much of the day.

Northwest wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph are expected to develop by late morning. Combined with the prolonged dry weather and fallen leaves, these winds could increase the risk of fires starting and spreading. However, relative humidity, which measures how much moisture is in the air, is expected to remain near 40 percent, so it is not forecast to reach critically low levels.

Forecasters will coordinate with state forestry and fire weather partners to assess how dry vegetation and other fuels have become. Fire weather statements or other special weather messages may be issued for Friday depending on that assessment.

Temperatures in the lower atmosphere, around 5,000 feet above ground, will fall substantially by Friday evening and continue dropping into early Saturday. Despite the colder air moving in, downslope winds, which descend from higher terrain and warm as they sink, should help daytime highs reach the upper 50s to mid 60s on Friday. Some locations in southeastern Massachusetts could reach the upper 60s.

The strongest gusts should ease around sunset Friday, but the difference in air pressure across the region will continue to support some wind through the evening. This makes overnight low temperatures somewhat uncertain. Current forecasts call for lows ranging from the mid 30s to the lower and middle 40s. Coastal areas near Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts should remain milder for longer because winds will take more time to weaken, while inland locations will be colder.

Key Message 2: High Pressure Brings Quiet Weather, With Temperatures Returning to the 60s by Monday

A series of high pressure systems will dominate Southern New England this weekend and through much of next week, keeping conditions generally dry and quiet.

The weekend will begin with noticeably cooler air behind Friday morning’s cold front. Temperatures in the lower atmosphere will drop sharply from Friday into Saturday.

With dry northwest winds and high pressure building in from New York, Halloween should feature mostly dry weather and highs in the mid to upper 50s. Evening temperatures will fall into the 40s. Winds should be lighter by then as the difference in air pressure across the region weakens.

Sunday will bring similar dry conditions, with temperatures a few degrees warmer than Saturday. The warmest locations, including the Connecticut and Merrimack valleys, could reach the lower 60s.

A disturbance in the middle levels of the atmosphere is expected to pass well northeast of New England around Tuesday. Because it will move through quickly and carry limited moisture, it is unlikely to bring rainfall to the region.

Another area of high pressure is expected to take hold Wednesday into Thursday, maintaining dry weather and temperatures warmer than average for early November. The pattern could begin to change heading into the following weekend, but that remains uncertain at this time.