Drenching Storms May Erase the 90-Degree Heat Across the Northeast Until Next Year

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

September 9,2015; 9:30PM,EDT

 

Rounds of showers and thunderstorms will brush across the East Coast into the weekend and could sweep away the summer heat for good.
A storm system will slowly spread eastward into Friday and erase the heat and humidity that has been in place since Labor Day.
Record-high temperatures were broken across a large portion of the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday as a very warm, humid air mass built over the region.

Cooler Weather Takes Aim at Northeast

New York City's Central Park reached 97 F on Tuesday, making it the hottest day in September in 32 years (97 F on Sept. 10, 1983 and 99 F on Sept. 11, 1983).
Boston rose to 96 F on Tuesday before a developing sea breeze cooled the city to near 80 F for the rest of the afternoon. This broke the previous record-high of 95 F back in 2007. It was also the warmest Boston has been since it was 97 F on Sept. 11, 2013.
New Record-High Temperatures: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 (*: tied record)

City, State	New Record (F)	Old Record (F) (Year)
Albany, NY	94	93 (1945)
Binghamton, NY	88	88* (2002)
Boston, MA	96	95 (2007)
Bridgeport, CT	94	90 (2010)
Central Park, NY	97	93 (1919)
Hartford, CT	96	95 (2007)
Islip, NY	91	89 (2010)
LaGuardia, NY	95	91 (1945)
Mount Pocono, PA	88	84 (1945)
Newark, NJ	98	94 (1939)
Poughkeepsie, NY	97	92 (2007)
Providence, RI	97	96 (1945)
Syracuse, NY	93	93* (1964)
Williamsport, PA	92	92* (1959)

The major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., hit 90 F on Wednesday, making it an official September heat wave this week.
An official heat wave is when temperatures reach at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit or better for three straight days.
This is the third heat wave this year for Central Park and the second for Boston.
Showers and thunderstorms will begin to build across the interior Northeast through Wednesday night, producing locally heavy rainfall and advancing much-cooler air into the region.

According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Edward Vallee, "A strong cold front will impact the Northeast late this week, bringing much-cooler air into the region."
"Rain and thunderstorms will drench some areas, bringing localized flooding in some low-lying and poor drainage areas," he added.
Storms will expand across the entire Northeast on Thursday, including the Interstate 95 corridor.
"While the wet weather will disrupt outdoor activities and there can be incidents of flash flooding, lawns and crops will get a welcome soaking where rainfall has been lacking recently," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

This rain could lead to late-week baseball game delays or postponements in New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and even Atlanta.
Those heading to any baseball games hoping for the game to be played should bring along raincoats and umbrellas in case rain moves in.
Drivers are urged to slow down if caught in a heavy downpour to avoid the risk of hydroplaning. Use your flashers to alert drivers of dangerous road conditions.
Use AccuWeather Minutecast® to get a minute-by-minute precipitation forecast for your area.
While much of the Northeast will dry out by Friday, rain will continue across New England, mainly early in the day.
Behind this storm system, much-cooler air will build across the region. Temperatures will drop between 15-20 degrees from earlier this week.
"The ridge in the jet stream responsible for the warm start to September in the East will finally break down late in the week, which will allow cooler and less humid air to move in for the upcoming weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.

"The 90s that have impacted the area this past week will be replaced by 70s by the weekend," Vallee said.
Another storm system from the west will bring more rain into the Northeast over the weekend.
Despite the large drop in temperatures by this weekend, temperatures will be near normal for the middle of September.
Normal temperatures across the Northeast are typically in the 70s by the middle of September.
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Those that love the summer heat may wonder if the 90-degree heat is over for the rest of the year as we approach the first day of autumn.
According to AccuWeather Long Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, "Temperatures across the East look to hold near to just above normal through the rest of September."
"There could be a surge of warmth across the East ahead of any cold fronts into October," he added.
Whether any upcoming surges will lead to temperatures reaching the 90s is yet to be determined.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey, "With the pattern currently set the way it is, there should still be some opportunities for well above-normal heat into October."
"While normal temperatures into October drop off quickly as well as records, 90-degree heat has been reached by most of the Interstate 95 corridor well into October," he added.