Northeast, Midwest to partake in extended break from midsummer heat, humidity

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Following the recent summer swelter, millions in the Northeast, Midwest and South will get a break from the heat and high humidity during an unlikely part of the summer.

The pattern will allow many to turn off the air conditioners and fans and open windows to let in some fresh air.

Late July is typically the hottest and most humid part of the summer for much of the United States. However, a long-lasting southward dip in the jet stream will allow cooler and less humid air to not only continue to advance, but have staying power in much of the Central and Eastern states.

Daytime highs typically range from near 80 degrees Fahrenheit over the northern tier to near 90 over the interior South and along the mid-Atlantic coast with high humidity during late July.

However, the cooler air that has already arrived in the Midwest and the interior Northeast and is making its way into the South and Atlantic coast is well short of those levels.

Gusty thunderstorms and flooding downpours from the southern Appalachians and coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts will retreat southeastward through midweek.

A pocket of cool air aloft will allow a few puffy clouds to build over part of the interior Northeast at midweek.

Some of these clouds may get tall enough to produce spotty showers over parts of the central Appalachians and lower Great Lakes region.

The same pocket of cool air and associated showers affected parts of the central Great Lakes area on Tuesday.

High temperatures will be 10-15 degrees lower, on average, for the middle and latter part of this week, when compared to this weekend.

While the sun is still intense during late July and will negate the refreshing part of the air during the midday and afternoon hours, the biggest difference will be in the form of lower humidity and cooler nights in the pattern.

Gone will be muggy nights as low temperatures are forecast to settle in the upper 60s to the lower 80s.

Nighttime lows will range from the lower 50s over the upper Great Lakes, northern New England and the central Appalachians to near 60 in the Ohio Valley and the middle 60s in the major cities of the mid-Atlantic, and the Interstate 95 corridor during much of the balance of this week.

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The strong sunshine will still allow outdoor summer activities such as swimming, golf and baseball to go on in relative comfort.

While AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will be 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit lower when compared to levels around 100 to 110 F this past weekend, it can still feel quite hot in the sun in urban, suburban and countryside locations during the middle of the day.

A storm moving across southern Canada may break the stretch of rain-free weather for part of the Midwest later this week.

A batch of showers, thunderstorms and perhaps severe weather will advance from parts of the northern Plains to the Great Lakes late in the week.

Motorists are reminded that the interior of vehicles can become dangerously hot in a matter of minutes, even during a cool wave in the summer. Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles for any length of time.

The push of drier and cooler air will help keep a budding tropical system at sea over the nearby western Atlantic.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the outlook for temperatures and any more rain for your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.