A burst of cooler and less humid air will settle over the northeastern United States to end the week then hold on for a spectacular weekend over much of the region.

The upcoming weather will make for comfortable conditions for those moving for college, partaking in outdoor weddings or working on construction and maintenance projects. The weather will still be warm enough for swimming along the Atlantic beaches, although local rough surf conditions may develop.

Some folks who mind the cool weather will be reaching for jackets, sweatshirts and long sleeves as it may feel more like a football weekend, rather than a typical August weekend.

Dry air is forecast to continue to make southward progress through Saturday.

Typical highs during the last part of August range from the middle 70s over northern Maine and the upper Great Lakes to the middle 80s over the Ohio Valley and the Chesapeake Bay region of the mid-Atlantic states.

Lows typically range from the middle 50s across the northern tier to the middle and upper 60s over the Ohio Valley and lower mid-Atlantic coast.

However, since the air and high pressure system coming in had its origins over northern Canada, temperatures are forecast to average between 5 and 10 degrees below normal this weekend, which will result in temperatures being slashed by an average of 10 to 20 degrees from their peak earlier this week.

High temperatures will generally range from the middle 60s over the northern tier and over the higher elevations of the central Appalachians to the upper 70s and lower 80s over the Ohio Valley and Chesapeake Bay region.

Early morning low temperatures are forecast to range from the lower 40s in the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York state to the upper 60s over the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay.

Most areas can expect a sunny to partly cloudy sky by day and mainly clear conditions at night this weekend.

Fears of clouds and rain lingering over the southern parts of West Virginia and Virginia are dwindling with a more forceful push of cool air now anticipated, compared to earlier this week.

Dry weather is forecast for the final games of the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, through Sunday.

As is sometimes the case with cool air and a clear sky during late August, there is the potential for locally dense morning fog by Sunday.

The fog could be especially dense in some of the deep river valleys across the interior. Motorists should plan accordingly and expect slow travel in the traditional fall foggy spots during the morning hours.

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As high pressure builds across the interior Northeast, a clockwise flow of air around that high will create stiff northeasterly breezes along the mid-Atlantic coast.

That persistent onshore flow will create rough surf, which in turn is likely to produce frequent and strong rip currents.

The greatest risk of strong rip currents will extend from northern South Carolina to New Jersey, where minor coastal flooding and beach erosion can occur at times of high tide.

Through early next week, AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring the area of the Atlantic along the coast from Florida to the Carolinas for potential tropical development.

An uptick in humidity is forecast over the Northeast even in lieu of any tropical feature moving northward. Along with that moisture will be an increasing likelihood of showers and thunderstorms.

Exactly how close to the coast a disturbance strengthens, if any tropical storm forms, may determine if more significant rain and wind develops along the mid-Atlantic or New England shoreline and Interstate 95 corridor.

Steering winds may be so weak and dependent on the balance between a departing area of high pressure and a storm from the Central states that determination on the track may not be revealed until the system begins to move forward.

Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert of tropical, severe weather and fog advisories. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

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