Burst of heat to follow September-like weekend in the Northeast
AccuWeather meteorologists say the temperature spike will be impressive but brief as yet another wave of refreshing air will sweep through the region by the middle of the week..
Hurricane Hilary is by far the biggest weather story for the U.S. right now, but some of the same weather factors that will affect it are going to cause other issues too.
Residents of the Northeast may need to buckle up for a temperature roller coaster ride over the coming days, AccuWeather forecasters say. Following a weekend that brought an early taste of fall, a burst of heat will challenge record highs in part of the mid-Atlantic to kick off the new week. But how long will it last?
A September-like air mass swept into much of the Northeast and the Great Lakes to start the weekend, bringing with it cool overnight weather conditions and comfortably mild afternoons.
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AccuWeather meteorologists say that a warming trend that began on Sunday will escalate to near-record high temperatures for some by Monday afternoon.
More than 100-year-old temperature record may be in jeopardy
"Much of the Northeast will be on a bit of a roller coaster ride in the temperature department over the coming days as a dip in the jet stream across the eastern U.S. snaps back north through Monday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said.
This shuffle in the jet stream pattern will allow a surge of very warm and humid air from the nation's midsection to spread eastward across most of the Great Lakes and the Northeast, making it feel more like August once more for the start of the new week.
Monday's high temperatures will soar well above the historical average in cities such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C., according to AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton.
"Temperatures in some of these cities may approach or even reach the highest levels so far this summer," Thornton said.
High temperatures in Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia, are forecast to be in the mid-90s Fahrenheit on Monday afternoon, near a notable threshold for both cities for the date of Aug. 21. At Baltimore-Washington International Airport, a high reaching the 97-degree mark would tie Monday's 124-year-old daily record, while the same temperature would break Richmond's daily record of 96 set in 1962.
Temperatures will climb 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average elsewhere across the Northeast but are likely to fall short of record territory.
Burst of heat to be fleeting
AccuWeather meteorologists say there is good news for those who enjoyed the break from summertime heat and humidity over the weekend.
"The heat will be relatively short-lived in the Northeast, with relief on the way by midweek," Thornton said.
By Tuesday, a cooler and drier air mass will return as a cold front crosses the region, dropping highs back down toward the levels experienced at the beginning of the weekend.
"The combination of the energy from Hilary racing northward through the Rockies and a new system moving into the Pacific Northwest early next week will help force the cooler air into the eastern U.S. by Tuesday," Benz said, adding that conditions would once again turn September-like.
The position of the jet stream, which will be separating the intense heat over the central U.S. from the pleasant conditions farther north and east, may allow for waves of wet weather to traverse through the Great Lakes region and into part of the mid-Atlantic at times next week. For most, however, the cooldown is expected to be accompanied by dry weather around the middle of the week.
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