Tropical-like weather forecast for eastern US as humidity builds
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 11, 2022 12:12 PM EST
|
Updated May 13, 2022 11:55 AM EST
Severe coastal flooding in North Carolina caused multiple houses to collapse and drift into the ocean on May 10.
Warm weather fans across much of the East rejoiced this week as seasonable warmth and sunshine returned to the region following a cool and unsettled Mother's Day weekend.
This sunshine, when combined with relatively low humidity made for several beautiful days for residents along the East Coast to soak up springtime warmth. However, AccuWeather forecasters warn that this fun in the sun is set to be dampened, due in part to a pesky storm currently churning off the coast of the southeastern United States.
"While it’s still spring, a non-tropical area of low pressure will move through the Southeast into this weekend and bring a more summery, tropical feel to the region," AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins said.
This storm system will draw Atlantic Ocean moisture inland in the form of clouds, showers and high humidity levels for a large portion of the East.
Into Friday night, showers can occur across a large swath of the East that includes areas from northern Florida to central Pennsylvania and part of northern New Jersey.
The upcoming "tropical feel" to the weather will largely be driven by the significant increase in humidity across the Eastern states and not so much by above-average heat.
Humidity is what meteorologists use to describe the amount of water vapor in the air. Higher levels of humidity can lead to the air feeling "sticky" or "thick" due to perspiration taking longer to evaporate from a person's skin.
For many residents in the East, especially from the central Appalachians to New England, prolonged periods of humid air have been hard to come by so far this season. That will change by this weekend.
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"The higher humidity will be more reminiscent of mid-July as opposed to mid-May," Adkins said.
Higher humidity, or more water vapor in the air, is also an ingredient that can work to trigger thunderstorms in a situation like this, according to forecasters.
During the weekend, the threat of spotty thunderstorms within the larger area of showery weather will increase as moisture surges farther north and west.
The swath of wet weather will expand to reach a much larger area that includes portions of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the Great Lakes and the Northeast.
"It certainly won’t be as chilly as last weekend, especially in the Northeast, but there will be showers around and folks will need to keep an eye on AccuWeather's MinuteCast® to discover when they can get some dry time outside this weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore said.
While this wet weather can work to dampen the plans of some residents, any rainfall is sorely needed for a significant portion of the Southeastern states.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, areas from southern Georgia to the eastern Carolinas are experiencing abnormally dry to severe drought conditions. The driest area where severe drought has set in stretches across several eastern North Carolina counties. About 50 percent of the state is experiencing at least abnormal dryness, as of the report released May 12.
High temperatures are set to hover around seasonable levels early this weekend but can climb back to above-average levels by Sunday, according to Adkins.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Tropical-like weather forecast for eastern US as humidity builds
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 11, 2022 12:12 PM EST | Updated May 13, 2022 11:55 AM EST
Severe coastal flooding in North Carolina caused multiple houses to collapse and drift into the ocean on May 10.
Warm weather fans across much of the East rejoiced this week as seasonable warmth and sunshine returned to the region following a cool and unsettled Mother's Day weekend.
This sunshine, when combined with relatively low humidity made for several beautiful days for residents along the East Coast to soak up springtime warmth. However, AccuWeather forecasters warn that this fun in the sun is set to be dampened, due in part to a pesky storm currently churning off the coast of the southeastern United States.
"While it’s still spring, a non-tropical area of low pressure will move through the Southeast into this weekend and bring a more summery, tropical feel to the region," AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins said.
This storm system will draw Atlantic Ocean moisture inland in the form of clouds, showers and high humidity levels for a large portion of the East.
Into Friday night, showers can occur across a large swath of the East that includes areas from northern Florida to central Pennsylvania and part of northern New Jersey.
The upcoming "tropical feel" to the weather will largely be driven by the significant increase in humidity across the Eastern states and not so much by above-average heat.
Humidity is what meteorologists use to describe the amount of water vapor in the air. Higher levels of humidity can lead to the air feeling "sticky" or "thick" due to perspiration taking longer to evaporate from a person's skin.
For many residents in the East, especially from the central Appalachians to New England, prolonged periods of humid air have been hard to come by so far this season. That will change by this weekend.
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"The higher humidity will be more reminiscent of mid-July as opposed to mid-May," Adkins said.
Higher humidity, or more water vapor in the air, is also an ingredient that can work to trigger thunderstorms in a situation like this, according to forecasters.
During the weekend, the threat of spotty thunderstorms within the larger area of showery weather will increase as moisture surges farther north and west.
The swath of wet weather will expand to reach a much larger area that includes portions of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the Great Lakes and the Northeast.
"It certainly won’t be as chilly as last weekend, especially in the Northeast, but there will be showers around and folks will need to keep an eye on AccuWeather's MinuteCast® to discover when they can get some dry time outside this weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore said.
While this wet weather can work to dampen the plans of some residents, any rainfall is sorely needed for a significant portion of the Southeastern states.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, areas from southern Georgia to the eastern Carolinas are experiencing abnormally dry to severe drought conditions. The driest area where severe drought has set in stretches across several eastern North Carolina counties. About 50 percent of the state is experiencing at least abnormal dryness, as of the report released May 12.
High temperatures are set to hover around seasonable levels early this weekend but can climb back to above-average levels by Sunday, according to Adkins.
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