Sunday PM Update: Warming, transitional weather ahead

Good evening! We hope you had a wonderful Sunday. The weather today was impressively pleasant – especially by late July standards – with low humidity values and plentiful sunshine. High temperatures in the lower 80’s were fairly common throughout the Northeast states, although it did remain a touch cooler in parts of the interior. The low humidity and pleasant weather will continue into the evening tonight and through Monday morning.

Gradually, this week, higher heights are expected to build into the region in the mid levels of the atmosphere. This denotes the presence of a mid level atmospheric ridge, and while its presence will remain most stout in the Central United States, it will briefly extend its reach towards the Northeast during the middle part of this upcoming week. The result will be building surface high pressure and warmer surface low — with warmer temperatures each day that goes by.

High temperatures should climb a few degrees each day as the week goes on towards its mid point, reaching near or above average values throughout the majority of the Northeast states by Wednesday. If there’s anything we have learned about this summer weather pattern, however, it’s not to get too comfortable. Just as mid level heights rise and settle in to the Northeast states, a large trough is forecast to sweep southwards into the Great Lakes towards the second half of the week.

This will push frontal boundaries and temperature gradients southward into the Northeast states from Southeast Canada. These fronts will serve as focal points for the development of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. While a large-scale severe weather threat isn’t anticipated, the scattered nature of showers and thunderstorms each afternoon will keep the weather feeling more unsettled than not.

The most noteworthy front associated with a strengthening disturbance in the Great Lakes looks likely to sweep through the Northeast states during the very late part of the week or early part of next weekend. Steadier rain is possible briefly with its passage, but the main story will be the cooler than normal air that will sweep southward from Canada into the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast states.

Some forecast models suggest the potential for temperatures solidly below normal throughout the Northeast states next weekend — but uncertainty remains high in regards to the exact timing of the air’s passage over the region. Our forecasters will continue to carefully monitor the potential for this shot of autumn-like air! For now, enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening. We’ll have more updates headed your way on Monday morning as we get a better handle on the weather during the week ahead!