Cooler air replaces stifling heat in Northeast
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Aug 15, 2021 8:04 PM EST
Thunderstorms popped up across the Northeast Friday afternoon and evening, bringing the threat of flooding downpours in some areas.
After a hot, steamy and stormy pattern last 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 last 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 in New York also tied its 2016 record of 98 F.
Fortunately for those sick of the heat and humidity, relief moved through the region to end the weekend, but it came at a cost as a slow-moving cold front brought showers and thunderstorms on Saturday.
These storms brought gusty winds up to 60 mph to parts of the mid-Atlantic. A multitude of trees were reported down from these winds across Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maine and Massachusetts. Near Orland, Maine, a shed was reportedly destroyed by a lightning strike. These storms also brought heavy rain, particularly around Baltimore and Washington, D.C., where they produced up to 3 inches of rain and flash flood warnings were issued.
"As this front progresses, cooler and less humid air will usher into from the Great Lakes to the I-95 corridor," said Sadvary.
New York City, which generally has temperatures in the middle 80s this time of year, dove from a high of 94 on Friday to a high of 83 on Sunday. Similarly, Philadelphia hit a high of 95 on Friday, but was only able to climb to 87 on Sunday.
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 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.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Cooler air replaces stifling heat in Northeast
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Aug 15, 2021 8:04 PM EST
Thunderstorms popped up across the Northeast Friday afternoon and evening, bringing the threat of flooding downpours in some areas.
After a hot, steamy and stormy pattern last 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 last 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.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
La Guardia Airport in New York also tied its 2016 record of 98 F.
Fortunately for those sick of the heat and humidity, relief moved through the region to end the weekend, but it came at a cost as a slow-moving cold front brought showers and thunderstorms on Saturday.
These storms brought gusty winds up to 60 mph to parts of the mid-Atlantic. A multitude of trees were reported down from these winds across Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maine and Massachusetts. Near Orland, Maine, a shed was reportedly destroyed by a lightning strike. These storms also brought heavy rain, particularly around Baltimore and Washington, D.C., where they produced up to 3 inches of rain and flash flood warnings were issued.
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"As this front progresses, cooler and less humid air will usher into from the Great Lakes to the I-95 corridor," said Sadvary.
New York City, which generally has temperatures in the middle 80s this time of year, dove from a high of 94 on Friday to a high of 83 on Sunday. Similarly, Philadelphia hit a high of 95 on Friday, but was only able to climb to 87 on Sunday.
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 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.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo