News weather

Departing low will give way to mostly clear skies

Cool air and clear skies will follow behind the departing front that brought widespread rainfall to Boston last night. Today, cloudy skies will stick around before being pushed out by drier air this evening. The weather remains amicable this weekend, with clear skies and highs in the mid 40s°F.

The Boston area remains in a severe drought, joining over 31 percent of the lower 48 states with notable rainfall deficits. This year will likely be one of the warmest on record both nationally and globally, and the prolonged heat has exacerbated drought conditions across the U.S. Over 10 percent of the nation is experiencing an extreme or exceptional drought, characterized by major crop losses and water shortages. This week’s forest fires in Tennessee are a reminder that widespread drought has been associated with a large range of adverse consequences this year, especially across the southeast and west coast. In California, the U.S. Forest Service has estimated over 62 million tree deaths this year, representing the largest die-off in modern state history. While most of us tend to hope for clear, sunny skies, many drought-ravaged portions of the U.S. could really use some more rainfall.