By AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Aug. 14, 2021 11:31 AM EDT
After a hot, steamy and stormy pattern this past week in the Northeast, temperatures are expected to flip in the other direction as cooler weather permeates the region despite lingering showers and thunderstorms.
"Relief is finally on the way for most of the Northeast following a week of uncomfortable heat and humidity," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary.
Over 158 million people were under an excessive heat watch or warning or heat advisory last Thursday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. This also included the Northwest, which just experienced its second major record-challenging heat wave this year.
While the Northeast's heat wave wasn't quite as extreme, there were records that fell during the past week. Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, just 26 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., broke several high temperature records from Wednesday through Friday. Temperatures peaked at 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, breaking the old record of 98 set back in 2002.
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La Guardia Airport, New York, also tied its 2016 record of 98 F.
Fortunately for those sick of the heat and humidity, relief is moving through the region, but it comes at a cost.
"A potent, slow-moving cold front is poised to crawl through the Northeast throughout the day Saturday, spreading clouds over much of the region, as well as intervals of showers and thunderstorms," said Sadvary.
From the Appalachians to the coast, storms are forecast to move through on Saturday. These storms can be particularly strong across parts of the mid-Atlantic, bringing flash flooding and damaging winds to cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia.
Thunderstorms elsewhere across the Northeast later in the day Saturday should generally be modest in intensity; however, with a sufficient amount of moisture still present in the atmosphere, some heavy downpours can’t be ruled out, according to Sadvary.
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"As this front progresses, cooler and less humid air will usher into the area," said Sadvary.
High temperatures will begin to shift downward on Saturday, from this past week's 90s into the 80s.
New York City, which generally has temperatures in the middle 80s this time of year, will dive from Friday's 94 F to the upper 80s. Boston will also take a turn into the upper 80s, still well above its average in the lower 80s for the middle of August.
In places where the front has already passed, temperatures will likely drop below average on Saturday, like Chicago and Pittsburgh, with highs around 80 degrees.
"This shift is forecast to occur by Saturday afternoon for the interior portions of the Northeast; however, more comfortable conditions should hold off until Sunday for many along the I-95 corridor," Sadvary said.
After experiencing a high of 95 on Friday, Philadelphia is anticipated to drop 10 degrees by Sunday, when AccuWeather forecasters predict a high in the middle 80s, or around average for Aug. 15. Washington, D.C., is forecast to drop below average on Sunday, with a high in the lower 80s. Usually, the capital has temperatures in the upper 80s in August.
The cold front is expected to stall over the mid-Atlantic on Sunday as high pressure builds back into the Northeast. This can mean more sunshine for the region, keeping humidity levels down. High temperatures are anticipated to be in the upper 70s and lower 80s from Sunday into the early workweek before moisture is forecast to surge back into the region on Tuesday.
Forecasters are watching Tropical Rainstorm Fred as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. Fred may send a surge of tropical moisture across the Southeast and Appalachians later this week, bringing locally heavy rain.
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