Looming rainstorm to wash away crisp fall air in the Northeast

Cool, dry weather is on tap for the first few days of meteorological fall across the Northeast, but forecasters warn rain and flooding are in the offing as the weekend approaches.

With the official start of meteorological autumn, turning the calendar page has also ushered in a refreshing change for the Northeast; however, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that sunny skies aren't the only weather ahead this week.

"The first few days of meteorological fall will feel crisp across the Great Lakes and Northeast," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

Temperatures are forecast to peak in the 70s for cities from Buffalo, New York and Pittsburgh to Baltimore and Boston through the middle of the week.

Later in the week, some locations across the interior can expect high temperatures to creep back into the lower 80s, but humidity will remain low, keeping the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the comfortable zone. Locations along the Interstate 95 corridor are expected to stay on the cooler side.

Residents hoping to use this opportunity to spend time outside should be cautious about the upcoming weekend, where the weather pattern could change.

"A pair of storms is expected to bring wet weather back into the forecast at the end of the week," warned Roys.

A storm that will drench the southern U.S. this week will move off the mid-Atlantic coast by Thursday. As it does so, it will combine with the area of high pressure to bring strong, onshore winds along the East Coast.

Strong rip currents, rough seas and even beach erosion could impact beach-goers from the Carolinas to Maine Thursday through the weekend.

Meanwhile, another storm will be coming in from the northern Plains. Rain and thunderstorms could push across the Great Lakes as early as Friday, while the weekend looks rather wet from Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York on eastward into New England.

"In addition to bringing a 12-hour period of soggy weather, it's not out of the question that this storm could bring drenching downpours," Roys said.

Even after almost an entire week of dry weather for the region, the heavy, repeated downpours could bring rainfall amounts in excess of 1-2 inches in a short period of time, heightening the risk of flash flooding.

The rain, combined with the risk of some thunderstorms, could disrupt outdoor plans from hiking, fairs and early fall festivals to college and professional football games.

In addition to the rain this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists will be watching the skies over the western Atlantic and other areas for tropical development into the end of the week.

Behind this round of wet weather, another burst of cooler conditions is forecast for the Northeast. However, as AccuWeather Long-Range experts warned mid-summer, mild air will continue to creep into the forecast through much of autumn.

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