Humidity-Busting Front Will Lead Cooler and Drier Air To the East Coast and South

om Moore
Published: August 19,2016
Your sweat glands have probably been in overdrive in the South and East as humidity levels have been off the charts lately, but some welcomed changes are coming soon.
New York's JFK Airport recently set a dew point record – 180 hours at 70 degrees or above – and the low temperature in Atlanta hasn't dipped below 70 degrees for two months.
Changes are on the way, but they will come with a price. A cold front – a leading edge to cooler and drier air – will trigger thunderstorms as it passes through.
(MORE: Check the Fall Outlook)
The Midwest will feel these changes over the weekend, and by Monday, those who live along the East Coast and in parts of the South will finally feel some relief from stifling humidity levels.

August Front Will Bring Comfort To Many

A strong cold front by August standards will parade eastward to the East Coast while sagging down into the South from the weekend into early next week.

Forecast Highs Midwest And East

Highs Saturday will range from the 60s to near 80, with much lower humidity levels, from the Plains to the Midwest and into the western Great Lakes, including cities like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Omaha and St. Louis.
These high temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees below average for this time of year.
Early Sunday lows will dip to the 50s from the Plains to the Upper Midwest (with a few 40s in northernmost locations).
The below-average temperatures will spread eastward Sunday into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, including cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Louisville, Kentucky.
In many of these locations, high temperatures will feel more like September; you may need to grab an extra light blanket for the bed and dig that jacket out of the closet.
(MAPS: Monthly Average Highs and Lows)
By early Monday morning, low temperatures in the 50s should be widespread from the Upper Mississippi Valley through the Great Lakes and down to the Ohio Valley.
Lows in the 40s are expected from northern Minnesota and upper Michigan, with a few 30s possible in the coldest spots.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast Highs and Lows)
On Monday, the next in line for August relief will be along much of the East Coast and into the South. Early morning low temperatures across parts of the South will be in the low 60s down to Tennessee and in the mid to upper 60s from Arkansas to northern Georgia.
High temperatures across the Northeast will range from the upper 60s in northern New England to the low 80s in the mid-Atlantic region. These temperatures will be around to slightly below average, but much more comfortable humidity levels will take hold.
In the South, temperatures will reach well into the 80s, but you'll feel much more comfortable with lower humidity, and the nighttime temperatures will finally cool off a bit.
(CITIES: Buffalo | Burlington, Vermont | New York | Philadelphia | Nashville, Tennessee | Atlanta)

Jet Stream Forecast Sunday

Setup For Temperature and Humidity Relief

As jet-stream energy dips southward out of Canada this weekend, a warm, humid air mass will build ahead of the cold front, and the atmosphere will become unstable.

Dry air sweeps in behind a cold front in the East and South by early week.

This means there will be a threat for severe thunderstorms from parts of the Midwest to the Great Lakes on Saturday and Sunday as the cold front continues its trek eastward.
(MORE: Severe Storm Threat Returns)
The jet-stream dip, or trough of low pressure, will help push the cold front eastward and southward.
This is very good news for millions of people who have been suffering from record humidity levels for a good portion of the summer.
A significant cold front during this time in August is not that uncommon, but this one is quite welcome.
Behind the front, cooler and much drier air will sweep in from Canada, and many locations will finally receive a break from oppressive heat and humidity.
The lower temperature and humidity levels for the East and parts of the South will continue into the midweek period.
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