HOLLISTON, Mass. — For school kids in Holliston, it was a perfect convergence: the last day of school was also the first day of summer.
If only it felt that way.
“Temperatures so far this June have been running, I would say, about 2 to 4 degrees below average in Massachusetts,” said Boston 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear. “We’ve had something that’s called a blocked pattern.”
Spear said such patterns tend to lock in certain types of weather for days -- even weeks -- at a time. The current block has meant more moisture for the Northeast, which has taken the form of both clouds and rain.
But back to those Holliston kids. They started off the summer with a dip in Lake Winthrop.
“The water, when I first got in, was chilly,” said Mary Toohey. “But when I dunked my head it felt kind of nice.”
Her friends agreed it was a chilly shock at first, but then not so bad.
In fact, it was probably worse getting out. Under partly cloudy skies the temperature rose no higher than the low 70s in central Massachusetts and 60s closer to the ocean.
The big question for many is whether this cool start to summer means something, long-range. The answer, said Spear -- well, she doesn’t really have the answer -- nor do other meteorologists.
“The general trend that we’ve seen over the last many summers has been above-average temperatures,” Spear said.
But within that average, cool summers are possible -- just not numerous.
“Summer to summer will vary,” Spear said.
What IS known is that summer this year will be getting off to kind of a lousy start.
“When you’re ready for 80 degrees and you’ve got a forecast that has showers and clouds every single day it’s a bummer,” said Spear. “It’s a bummer. And that’s what we have the next many days.”
Of course, summer got off to an early, false start this year -- with temperatures soaring on a couple of occasions earlier in the spring. In fact, Spear said temperatures in April and May averaged two to three degrees above normal.
If the summer turns out to be cool, that isn’t such a bad thing, Spear suggested.
“We all get excited for the first day it’s ninety degrees. But once you’re talking like two, three days and you get these heat waves it starts turning very dangerous,” she said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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