Northeast to experience temperature swings, episodes of dry and wet weather into next week

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

A progressive weather pattern will allow changing weather conditions across the northern third of the United States, including the Northeast through next week.

"The Northeastern states will remain in a weather battle zone between chilly air dipping southward from Canada and very warm air trying to surge northward from the Southern states into next week," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Maura Kelly.

Cool air, which has already taken root in upstate New York and New England, will push southwestward across much of the mid-Atlantic through Friday.

The transition was occurring across the swath from Ohio to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and southeastern New York state during Thursday afternoon.

Farther south, highs in the 90s F in Virginia and Maryland from Thursday will be replaced with highs in the 70s on Friday. The coolest locations will be where clouds and rain linger much of the day. A few of the wettest spots may hover in the 60s most of the time.

On Saturday, a breeze is forecast to develop from the south and southeast over much of the region. This will cause humidity levels to rise, along with temperatures in many areas. High temperatures will generally be in the 70s and 80s. However, there may be stubborn areas of low clouds that may hold temperatures back at the local level.

As a storm system approaches from the northwest, a swath of showers and thunderstorms is likely to erupt and advance from the Appalachians and eastern Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast on Saturday.

Football fans heading to games during the afternoon and evening should check the forecast as they may need to bring plastic ponchos.

The air moving in behind the Saturday storm system is not entirely of Canada origin.

The sun will quickly go to work and bring about a significant warmup in the mid-Atlantic and along the New England coast with highs mainly in the 80s on Sunday and Monday. Patchy clouds across the interior may hold temperatures back and could even produce spotty showers.

Clouds and showers may also be slow to leave the mid-Atlantic and southeastern coast of New England as well.

While an area of high pressure is forecast to build over the region during the early and middle part of next week in the Northeast, the track of a budding tropical system currently near the southern Bahamas may hold the key for whether or not warm and dry conditions continue or if the weather turns stormy in the Northeast later next week and next weekend.

A second tropical system over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean also bears watching for potential trouble later in September.