DAYS 1-5 (AUGUST 7-11)
The most unsettled portion of this 5-day period will be today and Tuesday, as low pressure tracks from the Upper Ohio Valley / eastern Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence Valley. We’ll have a few rounds of showers and possible thunderstorms. After some “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” early morning sun in eastern areas today, clouds quickly thicken and shower round #1 comes in ahead of a warm front. This area will be fairly benign and may not even wet the ground in some locations, while others get a bit more rainfall. Expect this to be moving out of the region during midday leaving just isolated sprinkles and light showers around with lots of clouds for the remainder of the day and evening. As the warm front passes you’ll notice a spike in humidity, but it won’t get that warm today due to lack of solar heating. Round #2 of showers and embedded thunderstorms will move through the region overnight and the first half of Tuesday morning. The area will be moving west to east, but the cells within it may have more of a northeast or north movement to them, and while I’m not expecting widespread severe weather, we have to watch some individual cells for the potential to become severe storms – primary threat damaging wind gusts. Any rain that’s heavy enough long enough can lead to local flash flooding. Another break comes midday into afternoon even with some sun possible, but another round of at least scattered showers and storms is expected later in the day into the evening as the cold front trailing the low moves across. Some of these storms can be strong too, but not expecting widespread big storms / severe weather. Just keep a close eye on the weather, especially if you’ll be outside or traveling in the area. Once that cold front goes by we’ll get into a drier westerly air flow behind low pressure which will be exiting the continent via southeastern Canada and Wednesday. Expect a breezy day with some passing fair weather clouds, otherwise quite nice with warm air but lower humidity. Any pop-up showers will stay in the mountains to our north. Thursday will be a nice summer day with fair weather, less wind – a southwest breeze – a bit higher humidity but not oppressive, and warm air. If you made beach plans (*raising my hand*) this is the beach pick of the week. The next disturbance approaching the region from the west sends its clouds into the region later in the day, and current timing suggests that the greatest shower chance with this may come overnight late Thursday night or early Friday morning, before Friday ends up as a mostly fair weather day. Previously I had been thinking Friday’s daytime would be more unsettled, but this may not be the case. I’ll eye it and update it as we go…
TODAY: Quick sun eastern areas early, otherwise mainly cloudy. Showers move in west to east this morning exiting during midday, with just isolated showers possible thereafter. Highs 71-78. Dew point climbing into the 60s. Wind SE-S 5-15 MPH.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in wind-protected areas. Isolated evening showers. Widespread showers and possible thunderstorms arrive west to east overnight. Lows 63-70. Dew point 60s. Wind S 5-15 MPH.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy through mid morning with showers and possible thunderstorms. Scattered downpours may cause brief flash flooding. Partial sun for a while midday into afternoon. Mostly cloudy again later with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms returning west to east. Highs 75-82. Dew point 65+. Wind S-SW 5-15 MPH with higher gusts. Isolated damaging wind gusts are possible around some thunderstorms.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Variably cloudy. Areas of fog in wind-protected areas mainly in the evening. Lows 61-68. Dew point 60+. Wind shifting to W 5-15 MPH, a few higher gusts possible.
WEDNESDAY: Sun and passing clouds. Highs 77-84. Dew point upper 50s to 60. Wind W 10-20 MPH, diminishing somewhat by the end of the day.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear. Fog patches in lower elevations. Lows 60-67. Dew point near 60. Wind W diminishing to under 10 MPH.
THURSDAY: Sun dominant first half of day, clouds increase later in the day. Highs 80-87, a bit cooler South Coast. Dew point 60+. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and a slight chance of a thunderstorm late evening and overnight. Lows 62-69. Dew point near 60. Wind SW 5-15 MPH.
FRIDAY: Sun and passing clouds. Highs 78-85. Dew point upper 50s. Wind W 5-15 MPH.
DAYS 6-10 (AUGUST 12-16)
The pattern will be generally zonal – a west to east flow – with passing disturbances. Shower/thunderstorm chances are highest August 13 and/or 14. Much of the time will feature rain-free weather. Temperatures fairly close to normal overall, but no major sustained heat indicated.
DAYS 11-15 (AUGUST 17-21)
A continuation of a generally zonal flow pattern with passing disturbances. Specific timing impossible but will watch for a couple shower and thunderstorm threats during this time. Temperatures may trend a bit warmer/hotter during this period with a little more northward displacement of the jet stream and a little more high pressure off the East Coast.