Northeastern US to catch break from rain parts of next week

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

August 18, 2018, 7:01:23 PM EDT

Communities ravaged by flooding and residents tired of having outdoor plans spoiled in the northeastern United States will welcome some dry days during the coming week.

Not every day of next week will be plagued by showers and thunderstorms.

Drier air will first make some progress across the region Sunday into Monday but will be interrupted by more stormy weather at midweek. A widespread refreshing change can then be anticipated late in the week.

After heavy and gusty thunderstorms threaten areas from southern New England to Pennsylvania and New Jersey into Saturday evening, high pressure is expected to squash rain chances out of most of New England and New York state on Sunday.

Showers and thunderstorms will keep disrupting weekend plans in the mid-Atlantic to end the weekend. Similar to Saturday, any of the most persistent downpours can lead to localized flash flooding.

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Wet weather may further be suppressed to south of Washington, D.C., on Monday. The day will still be humid across the southern mid-Atlantic with more comfortable conditions farther north. Highs will be not far from 80 F.

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Neighborhoods across most of the Northeast may be abuzz with the sound of lawnmowers or the smell of grills.

A stray shower may try to keep parts of the immediate coastline from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula damp on Monday. Even if no rain falls, lingering clouds, a stiff breeze and choppy seas will make the day less than ideal for beachgoers.

A storm approaching from the Midwest is expected to put the brakes on the Northeast’s drying trend for Tuesday into Wednesday.

Humidity levels can once again surge as showers and thunderstorms sweep from west to east across the region.

As has been the case recently, there will be downpours that can trigger areas of flash flooding where the heavy rain repeats and/or falls onto a ground that is overly saturated.

AccuWeather meteorologists are also monitoring the concern for some of the thunderstorms to produce strong winds.

Behind this period of wet weather, residents can look forward to even nicer conditions than what the dry days earlier in the week will offer.

"A welcome change will take place at the end of the week as a large high pressure takes control of the pattern," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said.

Thursday and Friday may feature a sky no worse than partly sunny, low humidity and dry weather spanning the Great Lakes, New England and mid-Atlantic.

If a weak system attempts to drop into the Northeast before the high takes hold on Thursday, any shower would only affect a small fraction of the region.

It will be comfortable for construction crews, farmers, sports teams and anyone else heading to a county fair or enjoying outdoor activities. However, fields may still be too wet for tractors or heavy equipment to drive through.

Those who get chilled easily may need a light jacket or long-sleeved shirt at night.

"With the drier air in place, nighttime low temperatures across the Northeast are forecast to drop to values not experienced since July," Vido said. "Wednesday and Thursday night, lows can be in the lower to mid-50s across the interior and in the lower to middle 60s along the I-95 corridor."

Vido encourages everyone in the Northeast to take full advantage of the anticipated weather for late week.

"Thursday and Friday may be the best opportunity to turn off the air conditioning and open up windows this month," he said. "By next weekend, an uptick in temperatures and humidity will revert the region back to the August status quo."

If the high does not hold firm, showers and thunderstorms may encroach back on the region next weekend, and Vido anticipates more stormy days than dry to close out the month.

"The AccuWeather Long-Range team expects warm and humid weather to continue in the Northeast into the last week of August with multiple chances for more rain," he said.

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