Boston’s Fourth may see ‘tropical downpours’

By Kiera Blessing and Martin Finucane | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT AND GLOBE STAFF JULY 02, 2014




NOAA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Tropical Storm Arthur is threatening Fourth of July plans along the East Coast.

In a prelude to the stormy weather expected later this week, strong to severe thunderstorms began rolling across Western Massachusetts this afternoon, forecasters said.

Strong winds brought down trees and power lines and caused stream flooding in communities, such as Shelburne Falls, Greenfield, and Northfield, according to damage reports fielded by the National Weather Service.

The thunderstorms came rumbling through as all eyes have been focused on Tropical Storm Arthur, which was still swirling off Florida today, but was expected to sweep swiftly up the East Coast later in the week, potentially ruining holiday fireworks shows and backyard barbecues.

Related
Tropical storm warning in N.C.Boston to hold concert, fireworks Thursday

Arthur is projected to develop into a Category One hurricane by the time it arrives off the New England coast. That’s the weakest kind of hurricane, but it is still expected to bring the possibility of “tropical downpours” for the Fourth of July.

“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact timing,” said meteorologist Bill Simpson of the National Weather Service, “but we want to emphasize periods of tropical downpours for Thursday into Friday. The storm passes east of Cape Cod late Friday night, but what’s well out ahead of it ... could be causing problems here.”

Although Arthur will be passing more than 70 miles east of the Cape, the system will push heavy rainfall and potentially damaging winds into the region, he said.

“Generally speaking, winds will have the biggest impact across the Cape and islands,” Simpson said, with gusts reaching up to 45 miles per hour. Wind gusts inland will be weaker - around 30 miles per hour in Boston.

As for rainfall, Simpson said, most of Eastern Massachusetts could expect an inch or two of rain, but “in some areas there will be some bands of higher amounts.”

“We won’t have river flooding, but you could have poor drainage flooding” in urban areas, Simpson said. He also warned that the periods of tropical downpours expected Thursday into Friday could result in low visibility.

Simpson said he didn’t expect winds to be a problem by Friday night, when many Fourth of July fireworks shows are planned, but he said rain might fall and low-hanging clouds could obscure the displays.

Read more

.