Dry air to squash downpour risk, high humidity in northeastern US

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

A break in the weather pattern that has been responsible for flooding downpours, locally severe weather and high humidity in part of the northeastern United States in recent days will take hold by Tuesday and continue on Wednesday.

Downpours will continue to cause localized flooding problems, mainly south of the Mason-Dixon line, into Monday night.

The Washington, D.C., area was inundated with 2-4 inches of rain in an hour during Monday morning, creating a flash flood emergency and travel nightmare for commuters. Reagan National Airport received 3.30 inches of rain between 9 and 10 a.m.

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The downpours will sink southward as dry air presses in from the north late Monday night.

Perhaps the most noticeable change will be over the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic region, where humidity levels have been very high since the middle of last week.

While stopping short of autumnlike conditions, many areas along the Atlantic coast will have a drop in humidity levels by Tuesday when compared to this past weekend.

The lower humidity will translate to practically no buildups of towering clouds, showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In fact, most areas can expect plenty of sunshine both days.

The only exception may be near and west of the Appalachians, where a weak disturbance that drops southward may allow some clouds and a stray shower.

The lower humidity and mainly clear sky at night will allow temperatures to dip to cool levels for July. Lows are forecast to range from the middle 50s F over the northern tier and the higher elevations to within a few degrees of 70 in eastern Virginia.

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Intense July sunshine will still negate the morning coolness at a fast pace both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Highs both days over a large swath of the region will be well into the 80s to near 90. The coolest spots are likely to be at the beaches, where an afternoon sea breeze will kick in.

The pattern on Tuesday and Wednesday will provide some great weather to get outside and enjoy summer activities.

The weather for the U.S. women's soccer ticker tape victory parade in Manhattan is expected to be dry and sunny.

The U.S. women won the FIFA championship over the Netherlands in Lyon, France, on Sunday, July 7, 2019. It was the second wind in a row for the U.S. women and their fourth World Cup since 1991.

United States' team celebrates with trophy after winning the Women's World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Temperatures are forecast to climb from the 70s to the 80s during the midday hours along the parade route.

Fans attending the parade should bring along sunglasses, wear sunscreen and light-weight, short-sleeve clothing.

More humid air will return from west to east across the region spanning Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

As the moisture moves back in, so will the risk of daily showers and thunderstorms.

Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.