Heat and humidity will build in the East this weekend making it feel like a sauna. Spotty, drenching storms will erupt as a result.
Heat, Humidity
High pressure will strengthen off the Atlantic coast just enough to drive temperatures and humidity levels upward this weekend.
On average, temperatures will run 5 to 10 degrees higher than they have been to start the week from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and New England.
Many of the major cities will have highs in the 90- to 95-degree range through Sunday. In places that manage to receive little or no rain during the period, temperatures can be a few degrees higher.
Normal high temperatures are in the middle to upper 80s this time of the year, which is typically the hottest part of the summer.
The perspiration index will be through the roof this weekend.
It will not be the hottest weather of this blistering summer for many folks, due to earlier bouts of 100-degree readings. However, it will feel very uncomfortable for those laboring, exercising or without air conditioning due to the combination of heat and humidity.
Spotty Storms
Thunderstorm activity will tend to be spotty during most of the weekend in the East. However, the few storms that get going can be nasty, due to the buildup of heat and humidity.
Any storm that fires up over the weekend will bring the risk of flash and urban flooding, even if the landscape prior to its arrival has been very dry.
The downpours could bother some outdoor activities ranging from big city and small town ballgames to auto racing in the Poconos and a day at the beach.
The bulk of these air mass storms would occur between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., with a few exceptions.
A potentially more serious severe weather outbreak may sweep from the Canada Prairies and the northern Plains of the U.S. late this week into the weekend. The rest of these storms could reach into the Ohio Valley and Northeast late in the weekend into early next week.
Some of the warmest weather of the year will continue across Alaska over the next few days, challenging more records.
Join us on Thursday for AccuWeather LIVE, we will discuss the debate of climate change and hurricane frequency and the top five things you need to know about summer weather.
Warmth is forecast to build over much of the eastern half of the nation by July, with Alaska of all places helping out.
A brief synopsis of the top five worst weather events of last summer.
The storms could affect cities from St. Louis to Evansville, Ind., Louisville, Ky., Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio to Huntington, W.Va.
A tornado touched down at Denver International Airport as a severe weather system moved through the area.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Central Illinois (1964)
19th-20th) Hail as large as grapefruits
battered more than 50 counties, causing crop
and property damage totalling $9.2 million.
Atlanta, GA (1991)
3.47" of rain in 1 hour.
Custer Creek, MT (1938)
Cloudburst; 48 killed in a train wreck.
Comments
Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.