Welcome back to the Boston Globe Weather Mailbag, where we sift through readers’ weather questions and answer them weekly. You can submit questions on everything from “why does it feel so humid lately” to “What’s up with El Niño?”
Every week, we’ll take your questions and answer them to best address what’s on readers’ minds. Many of your questions may also turn into more in-depth stories for our team to tackle in the future.
This week’s weather mailbag includes topics on the extreme heat so far this summer, the chance for a hurricane to strike New England, and the beauty of all those hydrangeas.
Q: How many days is considered a heat wave and what’s the summer that had the most 90 degree days in Boston?
— Jon S. Topsfield, Mass.
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A: Great question, Jon, especially with the well above-average temps we’ve seen so far this summer. For the New England area, a heat wave is defined as having three or more consecutive days where temperatures reach 90 degrees and above. Boston has already seen one heat wave this summer, back in mid-June, and has already tied the number of 90 degree days as the summer of 2023. Remember, it’s barely mid July, so we’re on track to far exceed that.
The summer producing the most 90 degree days occurred in 1983 where a staggering 30 days reached into the 90s — an entire month’s worth. July of 1983 had multiple heat waves, including a week-long stretch of temps in the 90s.
Q: How likely is New England to see a hurricane this year? With Beryl being so strong, so early, it feels like it’s just a matter of time.
—Ellen F., Newport, R.I.
A: The National Hurricane Center has predicted a potentially historic hurricane season in the Atlantic. So far, there have been three named storms, with last week’s Beryl being the earliest Category 5 storm ever on record. Exceptional sea surface temperatures and a building La Nina pattern will continue to prime the Atlantic for tropical activity.
When it comes to New England, the last hurricane to make landfall was Hurricane Bob in 1991. According to the historical records, the average time between landfall hurricanes in Southern New England is about 12 years or so. Obviously, it’s been much longer than that, so we may be due. Chances are greater this year because sea surface temperatures are the warmest ever across the higher latitudes, averaging nearly 4 degrees warmer than average in some spots. That plus the weather patterns we’ve seen this year are particularly conducive for hurricanes.
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A building La Nina will lower wind shear and allow storms to stay together for longer. Also, a strong high-pressure system in the Atlantic may steer storms our way. And remember, exceptionally warm waters could provide enough energy to keep hurricanes intact should they track towards New England.
Tropical meteorology specialists at Colorado State University have given a 20 percent chance for a hurricane to hit land this year in Southern New England, a drastic increase from the climatological average of less than 10 percent, based on previous outcomes.
Q: Is there a weather-related reason why all of my hydrangeas (and my neighbors’) are so large, robust and incredibly deep blue this season?
—Paul P., Winchester, Mass.
A: It has been a banner year for hydrangeas. Fun fact: One of the best-read stories on BostonGlobe.com last week explained why hydrangeas have seen such a big season. And you guessed it, a lot of it has to do with the weather. Last summer’s heavy rainfall (it was the second rainiest on record for Boston), and the subsequent warm winter, combined to give us the lush, vibrant displays we’re now seeing. Nearly all the blooms that were seeded last summer made it through the colder months.
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“They had a nice, pampered winter. And then spring arose, and they came to grow, and all of a sudden, the flowers are starting to explode,” said Michael Dosmann, keeper of the living collections at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
Along with a lack of extreme cold, adequate moisture in the growing season is also crucial for hydrangeas to produce such powerful blooms. If it is cold, windy, and dry, the blooms become desiccated and die.
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Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.