BOSTON – We have been a bit spoiled with the weather here in the Boston area.
The first half of March has been one of the warmest on record at most of the climate sites in Massachusetts and New England. In Boston, we have had just one below average day, back on March 1. Overall, the city is averaging more than 6 degrees above average per day.
Inland, away from sea breezes, the warmth has been even more dramatic. Worcester is averaging 10 degrees above average per day!
Now a word of caution – don’t rush the season. I have to admit, even I have been toying with the idea of bringing the patio furniture out on Saturday. With the days being longer and the recent streak of mild weather, it can be awfully tempting.
Take a look at the projected high temperatures over the next 10 days or so. Basically near or even slightly BELOW average.
The low temperatures are even more startling. Keep in mind, these projections are for Boston. Many of the suburbs will be 5 to 10 degrees colder. There will likely be several nights and early mornings next week with temperatures in the 20s or even upper teens!
This is all thanks to a pattern flip. For most of the month thus far, the jet stream has been favorable for unseasonably warm days in the eastern half of the country. Next week, that warmth shifts west and a large trough digs in over the Northeast.
This isn’t anything that unusual or record breaking, but after being so warm, there is always a concern this time of year that damage could be done to some vegetation. You may remember last winter, all it took was one really cold day to wipe out the peach crop in New England. Not to mention, many of the flowering trees were damaged enough to prevent them from blooming.
Again, the cold coming this week likely won’t be that harsh, but this is just a warning to not get carried away with any early season planting.
We are still several weeks away from the average final frost in the Boston area. Out near Route 495 and beyond, it really isn’t safe to plant most things until Mother’s Day.
I know what you’re thinking – with a cold week coming, could we see some snow? Would you believe it has been nearly two months since Boston got an inch of snow? Yep, you have to go back to late January for the last shovel-able event.
Here’s what I would say – while another big snowstorm is unlikely, I would hold off another couple weeks before stowing away the snow blower and shovels for the spring.
One of our more trusted models shows about a 50% chance (area in yellow) of at least an inch of snow in the next 10 days. If you stretch that to 3 inches the odds go down to about 25 to 30%. NOT ZERO!
So, get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather this weekend. It will likely be a while before we get back in the 50s. And, of course, we will keep you posted on the cold and any snow chances.
BOSTON — The Bruins couldn’t keep their season alive as they suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday night at TD Garden.
The Panthers took the series, 4-2, and advance for a second straight season to the conference finals, where they will meet the New York Rangers.
Check out full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Bruins looked to do what the Panthers did to them a season ago.
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But the Panthers prevented the Bruins for completing a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
It was the same old issues for the Bruins that hampered them in Game 6. Boston went long stretches without sustained offensive pressure and put too much of a workload on Jeremy Swayman, who was outstanding yet again with 26 saves, to carry them. The Bruins also struggled to clear the puck on numerous occasions, which allowed the Panthers to swing momentum in their direction in the second period by leveling the score.
Boston had several chances to extend their lead, too. David Pastrnak couldn’t finish off a breakaway bid. Charlie McAvoy had a tip go wide of the net. Justin Brazeau had a point-blank shot stopped.
The Bruins will look back on those opportunities as what could have been with their season over.
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STARS OF THE GAME
— Gustav Forsling scored the game-winning goal with 1:33 left in the third period. He pounced on a rebound and found a small hole to net the timely tally.
— Pavel Zacha opened the scoring with a pretty finish on a breakaway with 52.8 seconds left in the first period. Jake DeBrusk delivered a terrific pass to set up Zacha, who beat Sergei Bobrovsky on his backhand for his first career playoff goal.
— Anton Lundell netted the equalizer with 7:16 left in the second period as the Panthers center was in the right place at the right time. Lundell collected a loose puck in the slot and fired a shot into the back of the net.
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The Boston Celtics are a wagon.
They dominated the regular season, posting a 64-18 record to secure the NBA’s No. 1 seed. They steamrolled the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, winning each series in five games. They have the best roster in the league. They’re battle-tested, based on past postseason experience. And they’re healthy, outside of Kristaps Porzingis, who’s working back from a calf injury.
Yet, there’s a gigantic elephant in the room: Boston’s recent inability to get over the hump and win the NBA Finals, oftentimes despite being viewed as clear-cut contenders to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Celtics’ near-misses — which include a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games — perhaps explain why some folks are gun-shy about totally buying into this year’s Boston team.
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The C’s are heavy favorites to win the championship, with just eight wins standing between them and a title, yet outside skepticism persists.
It makes no sense to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who on Friday pointed to Boston when breaking down the “most surprising” aspect of the second round of the playoffs.
Windhorst’s assessment — part of a playoff roundtable published to ESPN.com — even included a stern warning at the end.
“The Celtics are 8-2 with seven double-digit wins this postseason. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are averaging a combined 60 points and 14 rebounds per game. Boston is ranked No. 2 in offense and No. 3 in defense in the playoffs despite missing star center Kristaps Porziņģis,” Windhorst wrote. “Yet, people are abandoning the Celtics as title contenders. Their postseason opponents (the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers) had injury issues, but the Celtics had little trouble against them. Ignore them at your own risk.”
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If you don’t want to bet on the Celtics, fine. There’s virtually no value in backing Boston at this stage. As of Friday, the C’s were -850 to win the Eastern Conference and -155 to win the NBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook.
If you like the Celtics to win, you’re better off trying to pinpoint which Western Conference opponent they’ll take down en route to securing the hardware. Or you could tap into the NBA Finals MVP market, where Jayson Tatum is a +130 favorite and Jaylen Brown sits at +700.
But betting aside, it’s hard to find flaws in the Celtics’ game right now, especially in the context of the remaining teams. Boston should win the championship. Anything less would be a disappointment.
Any hesitancy clearly is rooted in the Celtics’ past playoff failures. And it also might be misguided this time around, as there’s mounting evidence that suggests Boston really is that much better than every other team.
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Ignore them at your own risk — as Windhorst stated.
BOSTON (WHDH) – Open Newbury Street is returning starting on Sunday, June 30.
Beginning on that date, Newbury Street will be open only to pedestrian traffic from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 10 straight Sundays, through September 1.
New this year, Open Newbury will return for two Sundays in December as a way to encourage holiday shopping in Back Bay.
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