Boston wakes up to a mostly cloudy Tuesday with a high near 83°F, and the real story is what rolls in after dark: a soggy, potentially stormy stretch through Wednesday morning that could dump a half to three-quarters of an inch of rain and spark a few strong to severe storms. If you’ve got errands, a walk along the Esplanade, or yard work on the list, knock it out early — the window closes fast tonight.
Today’s Setup
Expect a slight chance of showers between 3 and 5 PM ET, then a better chance of showers and thunderstorms taking over the evening (30% chance today, jumping to 90% overnight). The National Weather Service in Norton says a low-level jet and dewpoints near 70°F are pulling in a surge of tropical moisture, with south winds 5 to 14 mph and gusts up to 24 mph ahead of it.
Best Window To Be Outside
Morning through early afternoon is your best bet — skies stay mostly cloudy but dry-ish. By 3 PM ET, hold off on anything outdoors from the Common to the Seaport, since that’s when showers start sneaking in before the evening storms take over.
Rain, Wind, And Flash Flood Risk
Tonight is the main event: a 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with the NWS flagging a risk for a few strong to severe cells and localized flash flooding in poor-drainage spots. The Weather Prediction Center has the Northeast under a slight risk for excessive rainfall through Wednesday morning. Wednesday itself still carries a 60% storm chance, mainly before 2 PM ET, with more possible later depending on how much the sky clears.
What To Wear Or Bring
Pack rain pants waterproof if you’re out and about tonight or tomorrow morning, and if you’ve got patio cushions or grill gear outside, a deck box weatherproof storage bin will keep them dry through the gusty, wet stretch.
Fenway, TD Garden, And This Week’s Events
The Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park both today and tomorrow — gates should stay dry early, but keep an eye on the radar as evening showers move in. Gear up with a Boston Red Sox jersey or Boston Red Sox fitted cap, and grab tickets on SeatGeek if you’re heading in. Tonight, Melanie Martinez plays TD Garden — indoor, so the storms won’t touch that one. Ariana Grande follows at TD Garden on Thursday, July 23.
Tonight’s Dinner Idea
With storms rolling through, this is a soup-or-stew kind of night. Toss ingredients into a programmable slow cooker for chili or beef stew, or braise something rich in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven while the rain rattles the windows. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
Next Few Days
Wednesday climbs to a high near 85°F with storms likely, especially before 2 PM ET. The good news: the NWS expects things to dry out Thursday into the rest of the week, with more seasonable temperatures and lower humidity carrying into the weekend — good news if mowing got rained out, and a fine excuse to check out the EGO Power+ Battery Deal: Save $91 on 56V Lithium This Spring before you get back out there.
