Taste of September to hold around northeastern US through Sunday
As thunderstorms rolled through New York, New York, on August 8, lightning erupted in the sky.
Much to the delight of fall weather fans, temperatures and humidity levels over much of the Northeast will be more typical of September, rather than the middle of August, through Sunday.
Many people will be able to open their windows to cool the house at night, instead of running the air conditioner or fan. Energy demands will ease.
Despite the cooler conditions, the weather will still be plenty warm enough for outdoor plans, including swimming.
People who have been avoiding the heat of the summer for outdoor projects may be able to accomplish their tasks this weekend.
While the August sun will still make for warm afternoons, the weather pattern will bring a break from muggy nights and humid days.
The air hanging around this weekend had its origins from northern and central Canada and will reveal its identity at night in the form of cool conditions.
Low temperatures in the Northeast are forecast to range from the middle to upper 40s over the colder mountains to the upper 60s around the Chesapeake Bay on Saturday night.
Despite the coolness, few, if any, records are expected to be broken. For example, record lows in Bradford, Pennsylvania, this weekend are in the upper 30s to near 40.
Along with the feel of early autumn this weekend will be the likelihood of areas of fog during the early morning hours.
"Light winds and a mainly clear sky will lead to ideal conditions for the formation of fog, especially in the river valleys of New England and the central Appalachians this weekend," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio.
The cool start to Sunday will give way to a pleasant end to the weekend throughout the Northeast. The showers and thunderstorms that rumbled over New England and upstate New York on Saturday will be replaced by a partly to mostly sunny sky.
"Afternoon highs on Sunday are expected to generally range from the upper 70s to the middle 80s across the region," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. "There will be a few exceptions as temperatures are held to the 60s in northern Maine and rise into the upper 80s in parts of the southern mid-Atlantic."
While some warmer and more humid air will begin to filter in from the west and south over the Midwest later this weekend, the transition is not likely to begin in the Northeast until early next week.
The leading edge of more humid air will be marked by clouds, showers and thunderstorms across parts of the Upper Midwest from Saturday night to Sunday.
"There is a slight chance rain falls for part of the day on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway," Rossio said.
While warmer weather will gradually move in next week, it may take until a storm moves eastward with rain to the north and thunderstorms to the south to move by before the larger transition occurs around next weekend.
That storm is likely to delay the warmup by a few days.
Cooler-than-average conditions are likely north of the storm track where it rains for a day. Temperatures south of the steady rain area are likely to be near average.
Normal highs during the third week of August range from the upper 70s across the northern tier to the middle 80s over the Ohio Valley and the upper 80s in southeastern Virginia.
A period of above-average warmth seems likely the following week for a large part of the Midwest and Northeast.
Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest temperature forecast for your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
