Hello, high pressure: Northeast to get a break from rainy weather
AccuWeather forecasters say a major shift is on the horizon as high pressure will allow a warm and dry weather pattern to set in over the Northeast and mid-Atlantic this week, bringing what stands to be a welcome respite from a recent string of rain, chilly and generally dreary weather.
Rainfall last week was heavy in many areas, with more than 3 inches of precipitation measured across portions of Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Eleanor, West Virginia, recorded the highest official total from the storm, with 3.46 inches of rain. Flooding was reported in portions of the Appalachians as heavy rain fell, and West Virginia emergency management officials blamed at least one fatality on rapidly rising waters.
As the storm that unleashed the copious rain remains centered offshore, a bulge in the jet stream will shift the storm track northward, allowing most of the region to remain dry and clear for several consecutive days. This will also allow the record-breaking heat in the central U.S. to slide northward and eastward over the course of this week, sending temperatures rising to unseasonably warm levels in some places.
"The warmth is set to arrive in New England this week with temperatures soaring into the 70s and 80s as far north as Maine and much of Canada, where average highs in May are only in the 50s and 60s," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jessica Storm.
The week will kick off with temperatures only slightly above normal, but more notable heat is expected to arrive by Thursday, when cities such as Hartford, Connecticut, Buffalo, New York, and Bangor, Maine, are expected to notch their first 80-degree days of the season.
As the heat continues to build late this week, record highs in many cities may be threatened. Warmth will peak on Saturday across much of New England, with temperatures more typical of June or July than early May.
Record-breaking temperatures will be a possibility as far north as Caribou, Maine, where high temps there are expected to reach the mid- to upper 70s by Thursday. The highest temperature recorded for May 12 in Caribou is 78 degrees in 1992, Storm said.
In cities from Syracuse and Plattsburgh New York to Manchester, New Hampshire, high temperatures for the coming weekend are likely to approach or break record highs. In cities such as Providence, Rhode Island and Binghamton, New York, temperatures will still surge into the 70s and 80s, but records in those places are less likely to be broken.
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While much of the Northeast will have summerlike temperatures late this week, locations in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast will have a tougher time reaching such high temperatures. With this past week's storm expected to linger off the Southeast coast, increased cloud cover and showers will work to keep temperatures at bay.
In places to the south, such as Baltimore and Virginia Beach, highs are expected to reach only into the 70s this weekend, which is just about normal there for this time of year. In these areas, substantial rainfall also fell in recent days, and with a wet and saturated ground, it will take a greater push of warm air to increase temperatures.
This is a contrast to areas farther north, which were largely missed by heavy rainfall. "Much of New England remained dry, which will help heat build significantly later this week," Storm said.
Additionally, places on the immediate coast may have some influence from cool ocean waters, which could keep temperatures lower. In New England this weekend, high temperatures may be over 15 degrees lower along the coast than in nearby inland areas.
This week's temperatures and dry weather will be welcome news for graduation ceremonies and beachgoers, but, forecasters are urging people to remain cautious when outside in the heat, especially when engaging in exercise or other strenuous activity.
Those hoping to cool off at the beach will also want to be mindful of water temperatures, and the risk of cold water shock. While the air will be abnormally warm for this time of year, temperature readings in the ocean, lakes and rivers are still quite low, noticeably lower than they would be during the summer.
Much like areas in the Plains that are currently under the grip of record-breaking heat, little to no rain is expected for most of the Northeast as temperatures surge. However, unlike the drought-stricken areas of Texas and Oklahoma, most areas in the Northeast have recorded near or above-normal rainfall according to the United States Drought Monitor.
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