Wet weather to precede colder air in northeastern US this week

A change in the weather pattern will bring the return of rain and cool air to the northeastern United States this week, while elevating the risk for travel disruptions.

Warmth will linger into Monday evening in the mid-Atlantic and Tuesday in eastern New England.

A storm which produced severe weather to the Plains on Saturday and will bring soaking rain to the Southeastern states into Monday evening will then cut through the dry and mild conditions in the Northeast by Tuesday.

Soaking rain will march from west to east across the Ohio Valley and into the mid-Atlantic and eventually the Northeast prior to the middle of the week.

The advancing rain may be accompanied by strong, gusty winds and even a few rumbles of thunder. The wind can be strong enough to break some tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages in a few communities.

“Across much of this region, it has been dry recently, which should mean that the ground can absorb most of the rainfall,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

The pace of the storm should limit the period of heaviest rain and the flood threat to a localized level.

“[However], watch for street flooding,” Pastelok said.

Removing fallen leaves from storm drains can help limit the potential of standing water on streets.

At the very least, the rain can trigger major delays during the busy commute times along the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to New York City and Boston spanning Tuesday to Wednesday.

Motorists should be wary of slick spots from oil buildup and fallen leaves during the dry spell.

Cooler and drier air will follow the rain at midweek.

The core of the below-normal temperatures will center from the Ohio Valley to the central Gulf coast next week, according to Pastelok.

The air will not pack as much of a sting by the time it makes it to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, where temperatures will only drop back to seasonable levels during the middle and latter part of next week.

Temperatures in the 50s are in store from the Great Lakes to the Tennessee River Valley, with 60s expected along the Eastern Seaboard.

As the chilly air dives across the warm Great Lakes, lake-effect rain showers can occur downwind. Waterspouts could even be a concern over the lakes, posing a hazard to boaters.

The first snowflakes of the season may fly over the central and southern Appalachians.

The cool air will not stay for an extended period in the Northeast. Temperatures are projected to quickly rebound by the last weekend of October.

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