Harrisburg: September to End Wet, Cooler

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

September 28,2015; 8:57PM,EDT

 

 

Warm and rain-free days have been the theme of this September around Harrisburg, but that is not how the month will come to an end.
While warmer air will return into Tuesday with any shower being spotty, a totally different story will unfold Wednesday.
The combination of an approaching cold front and tropical moisture being drawn northward will cause rain to increase.

Turning Wet and Cooler

Those with outdoor activities should prepare for alternate indoor plans or possible postponements.
AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring the potential for the rain to be heavy enough to cause flash flooding.
Even in the absence of downpours, motorists and airline passengers may still face a slower commute during Tuesday evening through Wednesday.

The front should eventually stall off the mid-Atlantic coast, and where it does so will determine the extent of drying for the Harrisburg area later in the week.
Rain may linger over all of the region or toward the coast if the front settles not far offshore, but dry air would win out if the front can press far enough away.
Regardless of any rain, the fact that the front is crossing the area will allow cooler air to arrive on Wednesday and remain in control Thursday into Friday.
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"The weather could turn nasty if Tropical Storm Joaquin tracks in from the Atlantic to the coastal areas of the Northeast during Friday and Saturday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "Such a scenario could spell a period of stiff winds and coastal flooding problems for parts of New Jersey and Delaware and may throw drenching rain farther west across Pennsylvania and Maryland."

Despite any headaches the impending rain will cause, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said that there is one positive aspect.
"This rain would be beneficial for much of the Northeast, where it has been pretty dry of late," he said.
Harrisburg has only had two days so far this September where rainfall topped 0.05 of an inch. Both days brought a deluge with nearly 2 inches of rain on the 12th and 4.37 inches on Sept. 10. Temperatures are averaging 5 degrees above normal (as of Sept. 28).
This month has the potential to become the warmest September on record in much of the Northeast and Midwest.