Fall-Like Refresher From Chicago to NYC

Andy Mussoline
By Andy Mussoline, Meteorologist
September 10, 2012; 7:40 PM
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Crisp, autumnlike nights, will blanket much of the eastern two-thirds of the country early this week while sunshine compliments pleasant afternoons. The sweeping area of high pressure bringing the change is a big sign that fall is just around the corner.

The refreshing change in air will settle into the country in wake of major cold front that sparked widespread severe weather from the Midwest to the Northeast Friday into Saturday. The two-day severe weather event ended late Saturday night with 462 reports of wind damage, 31 reports of hail larger than a quarter, and two tornadoes.

Twitter lit up late Saturday morning with countless photos of the tornadoes when they hit the New York City metro area.

With the severe weather threat long gone, a major shift toward tranquility well settle into the East.

In many cases, overnight lows will be their coolest since the spring. While the air is not expected to shatter records, it will make sleeping more pleasant for many.

Lows will be widespread in the 40s across the Great Lakes east into the Appalachians Sunday night. The relief will even be felt across the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle west into Texas as lows settle into the lower 60s.

Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski began talking about the cooldown last week. The cooldown and tranquility will make headlines this week, the severe weather that rattled the country Friday and Saturday reminds us why autumn has a different meaning for meteorologists.

The cooldown will put a dent into the summer heat that is in running for one of the hottest on record. Later this week, temperatures will gradually rebound to more seasonable levels.

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