Severe MA Storm Watch: Quarter-Size Hail, 70 MPH Winds Possible

MASSACHUSETTS — Quarter-sized hail and 70-mile-per-hour winds were possible in Massachusetts Wednesday, according to a severe thunderstorm watch that the National Weather Service issued earlier Wednesday afternoon.

The watch covers most of Massachusetts with the exception of the southeastern part of the state as well as Cape Cod and the Islands. The watch also covers all of Connecticut and the southern portions of New Hampshire and Vermont.

Frequent lightning, large hail and damaging wind gusts approaching hurricane strength are possible.

Storms are expected to cross the state starting late in the afternoon from the New York border, arriving in the Worcester area around 5 p.m. and into Middlesex County, Essex County and Greater Boston by 7 p.m.

While the storms could be destructive in spots, they will bring the leading edge of somewhat cooler and much drier air that will break the weeklong string of days where the temperature has topped 90 degrees with a heat index threatening 100 degrees.

One more hot day on Wednesday will be followed by highs in the 80s with lower dew points on Thursday, then a very comfortable day on Friday with a high of 82 degrees and dew points in the 60s.

The mostly sunny and drier stretch is expected to last through the weekend and into Monday before the chance of higher humidity and storms returns for next week.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)