Cool air to overtake northeastern US during first days of fall

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

September 22, 2018, 11:51:51 AM EDT

The arrival of cooler, less humid air in the northeastern United States will coincide with the first days of fall this weekend.

Astronomical fall officially begins on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 9:54 p.m. EDT.

It will actually feel like fall for the first few days of the season, according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

People who will be getting into the fall spirit by going pumpkin or apple picking, decorating the front porch or heading to a festival will find ideal weather conditions to do so this weekend in most of the Northeast.

Dry and fairly sunny weather is likely to prevail from northern Pennsylvania to New York state and New England.

Anyone heading outdoors will need to make sure they have sunglasses as well as sunscreen, as the sun’s rays are still strong this time of year.

High temperatures will generally be in the 60s F through Sunday, with a few spots in upstate New York and New England struggling to get out of the 50s.

The first frost or freeze of the season is even possible from upstate New York to northern Maine on Saturday and Sunday nights.

This is on par with the average date of the first frost for these areas.

Plants that are sensitive to the cold should be brought inside or covered for protection.

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While a majority of the region will stay rain-free this weekend, areas generally along and south of the Mason-Dixon Line (Maryland-Pennsylvania border) will have to contend with wet weather at times.

The same system that ushered in the cool air will stall over the lower mid-Atlantic, bringing rainy periods from the Virginias and Maryland to Delaware and southern New Jersey from Saturday night through Sunday.

People heading to the Baltimore Ravens or Washington Redskins games on Sunday afternoon should make sure they have a rain jacket or poncho on hand.

“South-southeasterly winds will pull this moisture back northward into more of the Northeast after the weekend,” Abrams said.

The pattern during the first half of the week will not only bring rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the mid-Atlantic and New England, but also an uptick in temperatures and humidity levels.

Download the free AccuWeather app to know exactly which days rain will be in your area.