Mid-May chill dominates the Northeast as wet weather moves in
May warmth to remain on hold, for now, as a cool and damp pattern sets up across the Northeast this week.
The Northeast may finally be getting past the risk for freezes in mid-May, but that change will come after round after round of rain.
While the Southwest bakes under triple-digit heat this week, a new stretch of chilly, damp weather is heading for the Northeast, putting mid-May warmth on hold.
Temperatures will trend below historical averages across the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and New England as dips in the jet stream govern the overall weather pattern. From Detroit to Boston, highs are expected to run 5-10 degrees below typical mid-May levels, with even a risk of frost or a light freeze early in the week for some northern areas.
The chill was especially noticeable late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, when many parts of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast dropped into the 30s with areas of frost.
"Some locations in northwestern Pennsylvania and upstate New York dropped into the 20s with a freeze," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "Fortunately, the duration of freezing temperatures was much shorter early Tuesday morning than the hard freeze in April, which caused great damage to fruit trees, vines and bushes in the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Appalachians and Piedmont. Still, there may have been some new damage as growth and bud break are farther along across the northern tier."
While Tuesday morning should be the last frost and freeze event of the month for most active growing areas in the Northeast, several chilly days are still ahead. Ample cloud cover will prevent frosts, but will also allow periods of rain and the potential for thunderstorms heading into midweek.
Midweek: Moisture returns
A storm system advancing across the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, and into the Northeast around midweek, will slow and linger near the New England coast late in the week.
“From mid- to late week, a late-spring, clipperlike system diving south out of central Canada into the Great Lakes and East could spark some gusty thunderstorms across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.
While the pattern will favor rounds of rain and showers, rumbles of thunder and brief bursts of blustery conditions are likely in a few areas, especially across parts of the Ohio Valley, Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic.
As showers and storms develop along an approaching cold front Wednesday, some thunderstorm downpours could produce wind gusts over 50 mph, potentially disrupting travel on area interstates and impacting outdoor activities.
Persistent downpours could spark localized flooding later in the week, especially in New England and where thunderstorms develop.
Locations in Maryland, Virginia and surrounding states, as well as portions of New England, could use a few rounds of rain, given the reported drought levels. Portions of New Hampshire and Maine are currently experiencing extreme drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor.
The best opportunity to make a small dent in the drought for locations in New England may be Wednesday night into Fridaym, but additional rounds will be needed to have a lasting impact on the region and agriculture.
As the storm lingers along the New England coastline later this week, bringing showers and drizzle, cooler conditions will continue to impact much of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and interior Northeast.
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However, there is some hope for temperatures as the weekend kicks off, AccuWeather forecasters say. Highs are projected to rise into the 70s or even 80s F by Saturday and Sunday for many Northeast cities.
Looking ahead: May warmth to build
A shift in the overall weather pattern, along with a northward lift of the jet stream, will usher in a noticeable surge of May warmth heading into the final weeks of the month.
Warmer air advancing from the South is expected to spread across the East, bringing summerlike conditions ahead of the unofficial start to the season, Memorial Day.
Chances for additional waves of rain and storms could precede this pattern shift, giving early crops a chance to flourish ahead of the heat.
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