Severe thunderstorms to accompany heat, humidity in Northeast Tuesday evening
Following a dry weekend and start to the week across the Northeast, AccuWeather forecasters say hot weather is set to build over the region. As the thermometer increases, humidity levels are expected to trend upward as well, making the conditions feel even hotter than in recent days and supplying fuel for showers and thunderstorms.
This past weekend, the Northeast was treated to a stretch of cool weather by summer standards. In Washington, D.C., the temperature on Saturday topped out at 77 F, well below the average high of 90 F for the date. This was followed up by highs in the low to mid-80s on Sunday and Monday. To the north in Boston, temperatures were limited to 75 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, 7 degrees below the average high for the date.
A big change in the weather pattern will unfold over the Northeast moving forward into Wednesday as the jet stream lifts northward, allowing temperatures to climb. Some locations may have temperatures 10 degrees higher than Monday.
"High pressure that provided more comfortable, average conditions the past few days will exit eastward in favor of more heat and humidity into Wednesday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde explained.
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In addition to the uptick in air temperatures, humidity levels are also set to rise across the mid-Atlantic. While a dry air mass allowed for comfortable weather over the weekend, a surge of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico will quickly put an end to this. However, the high humidity may fall short of reaching northern New England and southern Quebec.
The humidity in combination with the strong July sun will boost the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature toward 100 F in some locations during the hottest part of the day. Folks planning to be outside during this period should take breaks and drink plenty of water to avoid heat-related illnesses.
Furthermore, with below-normal rainfall for most of the Northeast so far this month, the ground is becoming abnormally dry across parts of the region, particularly in southern New England, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. However, there is some relief on the way.
The ingredients will be in place for severe thunderstorms to develop across a broad swath of the eastern United States into Tuesday night, including the risk of damaging winds, hail, lightning and perhaps a couple of tornadoes.
The severe weather risk will extend from Tennessee to Maine, with the strongest storms expected in a zone from eastern Maryland to central Vermont.
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Storms that fired up through early Tuesday afternoon over the Appalachians will advance southeastward through Tuesday evening.
Cities such as Washington, D.C.; Scranton and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Albany, New York; and Burlington, Vermont, may experience storms in the early evening. The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm watches for portions of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland until 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday as a result of the threat. One wind gust of 87 mph was reported in the early evening, just west of Mount Pleasant, Delaware, showing off the potential power of the storms.
"The timing of these storms could be critical for the evening drive, with a risk for slower-than-normal traffic from heavier rainfall," Rinde explained. Airports also face flight delays and cancellations, with more than 50 cancellations already reported Tuesday at New York City's LaGuardia. Reagan National Airport in the Washington D.C. metro area had a sighting of hail in the early evening hours.
Later at night as storms move toward the immediate coast, New York and Boston may be impacted. While storms may be weaker overnight compared to the afternoon hours, they can still bring gusty winds and heavy rain.
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By late week, temperatures and humidity should return to more seasonable levels across the Northeast as a dip in the jet stream moves in, ushering in cooler air and a renewed risk for showers and thunderstorms.
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