NYC to DC: Warmth to Get Cut Short by Chilly, Dreary Midweek Weather

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

April 6,2015; 8:27PM,EDT

 

 

The mild start to the week across the mid-Atlantic will not last long with a turn to cooler and wetter weather by midweek.
"For the longest time, people were waiting for signs of warmth. Now that it is here, those hoping the warmth stays will not like the outcome this week," stated AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams. "Chilly, gray and dreary conditions will be taking over."
Both umbrellas and jackets will once again be a necessity as Monday's dry and pleasant weather gives way to rain and a fresh push of cooler air Tuesday through Wednesday with the passage of a cold front.

While the cool air invades New England, upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, Tuesday will still be relatively mild across the rest of the mid-Atlantic despite the return of rain.
The chill will plunge across more of the mid-Atlantic Wednesday and Thursday, leading to a significant drop in temperatures. Between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit will separate highs from Tuesday to Wednesday in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Sunshine will not be present to help ease the chill. Instead, clouds and occasional rain and drizzle will hang tough.

The rain threatens to force outdoor plans indoors or cause some sporting events and activities to be postponed. Rain gear will be a necessity at the Major League Baseball games that play through lighter rain or drizzle.
"The one consolation is that there will not be big snowstorms [in the mid-Atlantic]," added Abrams.
However, the air at midweek will be cold enough for snow to fall in the Adirondack Mountains and neighboring parts of New England, such as Burlington, Vermont.
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Since the cold is arriving via a backdoor cold front, places west of the central Appalachians will remain mild at midweek.
A backdoor cold front arrives from the northeast and the cold banks up against the eastern slopes of the Appalachians. This results in a dramatic contrast in temperatures on either side of the mountains.
While temperatures are being held to the 40s in Philadelphia Wednesday and Thursday, Pittsburgh will enjoy highs in the lower 70s. Temperatures will crack the 80-degree mark on Thursday in western West Virginia, but will stay in the 60s across central Virginia.

Abrams had one more positive spin on the impending chill and dreary conditions east of the Appalachians.
"It will be perfect weather to finish your taxes since there will be no temptation to go outside," he said.
That temptation will be back this weekend and early next week as the weather looks to improve.