Northeast to warm up, may turn smoky following wet start to week
Following a period of dry and nice weather over the weekend, thunderstorm downpours will usher in the new workweek in the Northeast; however, drier, warmer (and potentially smokier) weather is ahead through mid-June.
Maggie Peikon of the American Hiking Society joins the AccuWeather Network to explain how National Trails Day got started in 1992 as an initiative to encourage people get to outdoors more often.
A beautiful stretch of weather over the weekend will give way to more storminess and cooler weather to begin the second week of June in the Northeast, but AccuWeather meteorologists are expecting more consistent summer warmth to then take over in the region through the middle of the month.
The mid-month warmth will not come, however, with consistent dry weather, as rounds of summertime showers and storms will impact areas that are already waterlogged since a very wet May. There can also be a return of smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Fans sit in the right field stands of PNC Park during a rain delay in the scheduled baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies in Pittsburgh, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
"The rain and clouds will keep temperatures up to 10 degrees below the historical average to start the week," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill. "The good news for those yearning for summer weather is that high pressure and much warmer weather returns for the second half of the week."
From a nice weekend to rounds of wet weather
Following a wet start to the weekend, the second half of the weekend will remain nice for many for getting outside across the Northeast. Unfortunately for those hoping to extend that dry weather into the start of the workweek, rain will return, say AccuWeather meteorologists.
On Sunday, rain and thunderstorms began returning to parts of the upper Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic, including the cities of Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Other parts of the northern mid-Atlantic and western New England will follow by Sunday night and Monday.
While widespread severe weather is not anticipated, a few storms can turn gusty into Sunday evening and again on Monday, from the mid-Atlantic west to West Virginia and north to western New York state. There is also a small chance of hail and an isolated tornado.
For the eastern half of New England, including Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, it may take until Monday night or Tuesday for showers and storms to arrive, as a dome of high pressure will be stubborn in relenting its control over the region. When rain arrives, though, it can come down hard.
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"The axis of repeated downpours through Tuesday will follow a path from the Lower Hudson Valley and Interstate 95 corridor north to Maine," said Merrill. "This same zone of real estate saw 2 to 8 inches more rain than average in May, including in Boston, which recorded its fifth wettest May on record."
Areas south along the Eastern Seaboard to the South can also experience these downpours, which can slow travel both by road and air.
At the same time, dry weather will begin returning to the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and western mid-Atlantic, as another area of high pressure builds in beginning Tuesday. This drier weather will also usher in an increase in temperatures more typical of mid-June.
Warmer weather to return by midweek, but with smoke?
With countless summer vacations kicking off during the new week, many will be pining for sustained warm weather to enjoy time in the pool, a lake or the ocean. It seems Mother Nature will cooperate beginning in the middle of the week, by turning up the thermostat, say AccuWeather meteorologists.
After a few days where the mercury will be no higher than the 70s in the mid-Atlantic and even being stuck in the 60s in upstate New York and New England, 80s will return to many areas by Wednesday and Thursday.
Combined with dry weather, light winds and a high sun angle close to the summer solstice, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures can be a few degrees above actual thermometer readings for several days, above 90 in some parts of the mid-Atlantic states.
The arrival of drier weather along westerly winds can also mean the return of Canadian wildfire smoke across the Great Lakes and Northeast, and perhaps as far away as the Southeast.
As of June 4, Canadian government statistics indicated that nearly 6 million acres of forest had been scorched by wildfires, mostly in the central portion of the country. As of June 7, over 200 active fires are burning, sending smoke across the country.
Though pockets of smoke leftover from earlier in the month remain in the Midwest and Northeast, thicker plumes are expected to arrive during the new week. While it remains in question how much air quality can be affected at ground level, it seems at least probable that it will be impacted close to the Canadian border for a time from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes region.
Following the warmth and potentially smoky skies, a slight cooldown is expected for most by next weekend, but that could be short-lived.
"There will be a 'sneaky front' that trims temperatures several degrees for Father’s Day weekend," added Merrill. "Fortunately for dads, the weather looks dry, so outdoor activities should go off without a hitch."
After that, another ridge of high pressure may build east for the following week, as the calendar approaches the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20. This would result in more warm weather and, ultimately, spontaneous pool parties.
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