Massachusetts’ streak of warm temperatures will continue on Thursday, a day after Boston cleared 80 degrees — the first time this late in the calendar it got that warm in the Bay State’s largest city.
Forecasters are projecting cooler temperatures on Thursday, with highs at or near 70 degrees in most areas of the state. Those temperatures though are still “well above normal for this time of year,” forecasters wrote.
It wasn’t just Boston that set a record on Wednesday. Worcester, Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Connecticut all set new benchmarks for the warmest Nov. 6 recorded by the National Weather Service.
Both Worcester and Providence reached 77 degrees on Wednesday, topping records of 72 degrees and 75 degrees, respectively.
Hartford, much like Boston, topped 80 degrees on Wednesday. It was also the first time a temperature above 80 had been recorded there this late in the year.
Wednesday marked the second time in less than a week that New England set new records for warmth.
On Nov. 1, Boston hit a high of 79 degrees, surpassing the 1974 record of 77 degrees. Worcester, too, set a record on Friday, reaching 76 degrees, breaking its 2003 record of 73 degrees.
All of the warm temperatures come amid an extended dry spell for Massachusetts that has prompted repeated warnings from forecasters about fire danger.
“The prolonged period of dry weather coupled with a very dry ground will continue to result in elevated fire weather concerns on Thursday,” forecasters wrote.
