Weather in Mass. shifts gears: drizzle exits, warmth arrives, then storms possible

Early morning showers over eastern Massachusetts and the Cape will be gone by mid-morning Sunday as a cleaner, drier wind blows in from the northwest. The clouds break up through the afternoon and evening, leaving behind cooler air and gusty northwest winds that top out around 25 mph. Valley towns may hit the low 60s under mostly sunny skies, while western parts of the state remain dry all day with just sunshine overhead. Coastal areas have a wind advisory from late morning Sunday through Monday night. Expect ocean waves between four and six feet with gusts up to 29 mph, so boats should postpone trips if possible. Life on the water improves on Monday when sunshine returns statewide, but winds shift southwest and speed up to 30 mph by afternoon. Temperatures climb toward the mid-60s, even reaching the low 70s in some spots.Dry air settles in at the same time, pushing humidity down to about a third of normal levels. That combination—warm breezes plus bone-dry air—raises the risk of wildfires Monday afternoon. State fire crews are already watching the forecast and may issue warnings before the week starts. Residents are asked to skip open burns and watch how they handle anything that could spark a flame. A cold front arrives late Tuesday, bringing a likely return of showers and possible thunderstorms. Western Massachusetts looks to get the heaviest rain, while the east may only see light sprinkles. Until then, Monday stands out as the best window for outdoor plans, but Tuesday could interrupt the calm with more unsettled weather.