August to kick off on dry, pleasant note in northeastern US

By Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist

Although rounds of drenching, gusty storms were the norm across the Northeast during the last few days of July, a change in the weather pattern will allow the first few days of August to be dry in New England.

The slow-moving cold front that was responsible for days of scattered showers and storms was forced southward as an area of high pressure expanded eastward from the Great Lakes into New England.

Residents will be treated to nearly perfect weather conditions for outdoor activities for the bulk of the first week of August across the northern tier with low humidity and mainly rain free conditions.

High temperatures through Saturday will range from the 70s Fahrenheit across the higher terrain of the central Appalachians to the Green and White mountains and the 80s in the lower elevations and major cities of the I-95 corridor.

Comfortable humidity levels and plenty of sunshine will provide an ideal setting for those flocking to New England and New York beaches or engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, fishing and golfing.

The lower temperatures and humidity will reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses for anybody engaging in strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities and also allow most people to turn off the air conditioning unit for a while.

Cooling demand will be lower than it has been in weeks, which is good news for residents hoping to save on their electric bills.

People planning on spending time outdoors through this weekend should keep in mind that the sun angle is still very high this time of year and apply sunscreen frequently to avoid receiving a bad sunburn.

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Unfortunately, the drier air will not be able to push southward into the southern mid-Atlantic as the frontal boundary stalls across the region and combines with tropical moisture streaming northward from the Atlantic.

Residents near and south of the Mason-Dixon Line will face daily rounds of scattered showers and storms through at least the first half of the weekend, and some of these storms are forecast to creep back northward into Pennsylvania and New Jersey on Friday and Saturday following the mainly dry weather from Thursday.

While severe weather is not anticipated, any storms that do develop could be slow-moving and produce locally heavy rainfall that could trigger incidents of flash flooding in cities such as Baltimore, Richmond and Washington, D.C.

With the clouds and moisture sticking around in the southern half of the mid-Atlantic, it may still feel oppressive to those that are sensitive to higher humidity and may not allow residents in these areas to turn off the AC.

How far north the threat for showers and thunderstorms gets on Friday and Saturday will depend on the strength of the high pressure and any subtle shifts of the nearly stationary frontal boundary.

AccuWeather meteorologists foresee little change in this weather pattern into at least the first half of next week, with any cold fronts failing to make headway into the southern mid-Atlantic.

Download the free AccuWeather app to keep track of the latest temperature trends in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.