New England is currently on a brief warming trend, with temperatures into the 70s today with 80s in southern and central New England for tomorrow. This trend is going to come to an abrupt end with the arrival of a strong cold front. This front will push southward through the region on Tuesday.
The timing of the front will prevent northern areas from getting into tomorrow's heat. There will likely be a decent sized temperature gradient (20 to 30 degrees) from the Canadian border to New England's south coast. The front itself will likely begin making its push southward Tuesday afternoon. The front should make it to the Massachusetts border early Wednesday morning and clear New England completely by 8am.
Set up on Tuesday showing the front still in Canada, but dropping southward. You can see highest rain chances confined to northern New England:
This potent front will bring two things with it: rain and gusty winds. The amount of precipitation associated with the front has been trending down, however, it does look like northern New England will see some showers with steadier rain embedded. Being a cold front, the showers and rain will precede the front as a line and work southward. Northern New England will see showers begin popping Tuesday afternoon through the evening.
The line of rain will likely break down as it pushes further south. While areas in and north of the White Mountains will see widespread rain and perhaps a rumble of thunder, southern New England will likely only see spotty, isolated showers during the overnight hours.
Euro model showing showers and steadier rain across northern New England Tuesday afternoon:
Winds from the cold front will be strong region-wide. Winds will be sustained at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph. This breeze will be quite chilly as the temperatures drop off after the front's passage. Wednesday morning highs will top out in the mid 50s north and low 60s south. Temperatures are only getting this high thanks to the strong mid-May sun, which will be out much of the day Wednesday.
The full impact of the front will be felt overnight Wednesday through Thursday morning, after the sun goes down. Thursday morning lows will drop into the 20s north and 30s south. Widespread frost advisories will be issued and some freeze warnings will likely be posted. Wins will diminish during the evening. How quickly the wind dies down will play a big role in just how cold it gets. In order for maximum cooling to occur, winds need to be calm. If winds are stronger, lows will stay higher, but wind chill will be lower.
Thursday will be a moderation day, as temperatures will be a notch warmer than Wednesday. By Friday, much of New England will be back into the 70s with overnight lows in the 40s and 50s. This front is a good reminder that New Englanders are advised not to plant their gardens until Memorial Day.