You’ll feel a few gusty winds in the city and along the coast from the difference in air pressure, between the incoming high pressure and approaching Hurricane Erin.
High surf and rip currents from Erin continue to build along the southern coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, so the high surf advisory remains in place through at least Thursday.
The setup — cool, cloudy, and scattered showers
We’re going to trade a cloudy and rainy Wednesday for any direct impacts from Hurricane Erin later this week.
A deepening trough, or cold front, is entering New England throughout the day. The front will be carrying a weak area of low pressure, pushing just to the south of Southern New England. This will cause a slight shift in wind direction, bumping up dew points and drawing in some moisture from the south, which will help spark a couple rounds of showers throughout the day. Atmospheric moisture will be light to moderate; there could be a couple of brief downpours, but nothing widespread, so we’re not looking at a washout type of day.
Most of the precipitation will be spreading through Southern New England from the west-southwest, with parts of Northern New England also seeing showers at times.
Rainfall totals of about a quarter of an inch to half an inch are expected across Boston and Southern New England. Should multiple storm cells pass over the same area, a few local totals could reach an inch of rain.
This scenario has prompted a low-end risk for flooding across Southern New England. Any flooding should be isolated and brief, with I-95 to Worcester’s I-190, and south to Providence seeing the highest chance for excessive rainfall.
Highs will likely inch to the upper 60s and low 70s across the region, with Boston hovering around 70 to 72 degrees.
We’ll start to see more indirect impacts from Erin as we head into Thursday, with the change in air pressure from Erin to the south and the dominant high pressure behind Wednesday’s front increasing wind gusts to 20 to 25 miles per hour at times along the coast.
Hurricane Erin: High surf advisory issued
The impacts from Erin will continue to be felt in our region as rip currents and rough surf ramp up on Wednesday and last through the week, so pay attention to the posted warning flags on beaches up and down coastal New England, except the Boston area. The high surf advisory remains in place through Saturday night. Large breaking waves of 5 to 13 feet are possible, and there’s a chance for the high surf to continue into the weekend, so you’ll want to make sure to stay out of the water to avoid dangerous rip currents.
Also, the gusty conditions along the coastline will persist into the weekend, reaching 20 to 30 miles per hour or higher at times.
Quick meteorology here. A timely surface high pressure and decent upper-level steering will push Erin away from New England. Take a look at the surface and upper-level flow maps below.
Greater Boston: Overcast with scattered to steady showers throughout the day. Some showers may fizzle out as they near Boston. A little breezy, too. Highs in the upper 60s and low 70s.
Southeastern Mass.: Overcast with highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. The chance for a shower will exist throughout the day. A slight breeze, especially along the South Coast.
Central/Western Mass.: Seeing mostly cloudy to overcast skies with scattered showers to steady showers during the day. Highs in the upper 60s from Worcester to Springfield, with the Berkshires struggling to get out of the 50s.
Cape and Islands: Mostly cloudy with highs in the low 70s. A breeze to 10 to 15 mph with gusts from 20 to 25 mph. High surf and rip currents along the shore. Showers enter the picture late morning, with more rain showers possible later in the day.
Rhode Island: Mostly cloudy to overcast with highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. Scattered showers throughout the day with a stretch of steady rain mixed in. A little breezy near Newport.
New Hampshire: Mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 60s statewide. A couple of scattered showers are possible.
Vermont/Maine: Mostly cloudy with highs reaching the upper 60s and 70s. Some sun in Northern Maine. Scattered showers possible across Vermont and later in the day in Maine.
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Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.
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