Midweek Soaking for Northeast to Precede Cool Shot

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

September 28,2015; 11:06PM,EDT

 

 

Rain is set to soak the abnormally dry Northeast starting on Tuesday as a press of noticeably cooler air arrives and stalls for the transition from September to October.
While this September could go down in history books as the warmest September on record in many cities across the Midwest and Northeast, the month will end on a much cooler note.

Wet Weather Returns to the Northeast on Tuesday.

The cool air will push quickly across the Midwest through Wednesday. As the leading edge of the cool air approaches, a band of showers or a period of rain will occur and can cause some minor inconveniences to those with outdoor plans. Dry weather will quickly return for the middle of the week.
When the cool air arrives, it will cause temperatures in many places to be held about 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit below the previous day's high.
Highs in the 60s are expected from Minneapolis to Chicago, Detroit to Pittsburgh when the cool air is in place.
New York City and Washington, D.C., have not had a high below 70 F since early June, but that is about to change this week. The cool air will reach the Atlantic coast during the middle and latter part of the week.

"Afternoon temperatures may only be in the 50s by Friday and this weekend [in parts of the Northeast], which will be a shock to residents given how warm it has been at times over the past couple of weeks," stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson. Late-week rain may also contribute to temperatures being held well below normal.
Where dry weather prevails, the cool weather may be just what trees need in the Midwest and Northeast to bring out their bright colors after recent warm weather slowed the onset of the fall foliage.
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While the swath of rain will make steady eastward progress through the Midwest, the rain may be slower to depart at midweek in the Northeast.
According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "While it will not rain continuously in the Northeast this week, this is a significant pattern change for the upper mid-Atlantic to New England following many days and weeks of dry weather."
Tropical moisture will be drawn northward from the Gulf of Mexico and is likely to cause steadier and heavier rain to develop across the mid-Atlantic and New England, especially over interior areas during Tuesday into Wednesday.

Enough rain may fall to cause incidents of flash flooding. Excess water on the roads will increase the risk of hydroplaning for motorists. Airline passengers may face flight delays.
Cities at risk of urban flooding problems include Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; New York City and Albany, New York; Trenton, New Jersey; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston; and Portland, Maine.
Despite the headaches those with outdoor plans will likely face due to the rain on either side of the cold front, the upcoming wet weather has one positive aspect, according to Thompson.
"This rain would be beneficial for much of the Northeast, where it has been pretty dry of late," Thompson said. "Boston and New York have not had measurable rainfall in two weeks and both cities are running a 7-inch precipitation deficit compared to average this year."
The United States Drought Monitor reported last Thursday that 58 percent of the area from West Virginia and Maryland to Maine was at least abnormally dry.
The front is forecast to stall along or just off the Atlantic Seaboard late this week. The stalled front, Tropical Depression 11 and another storm from the South will set the stage for rain to linger in some areas and another dose of rain to develop in others.