Much-needed rain targets drought-stricken New England, New York into Monday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

October 2,2016; 12:48AM,EDT

 

 

Showers will occasionally dampen drought-stricken portions of New England and New York State into Monday.
The rainfall into Monday will not be soaking enough to end the drought across the region.
Regardless, any rain will help to temporarily ease dry lawns and increase water levels in low streams and reservoirs.
The heaviest rain has now ended across the Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic, including in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. However, drizzle, locally drenching showers and low cloud ceilings will affect these areas into Sunday night.

The storm that has caused the widespread clouds and rain across the region to end this past week will slowly move out of the Northeast early this week.
"The rain into Monday will be more scattered in nature from the Great Lakes to the Northeast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
The bouts of rain will be light enough to limit concerns for flash flooding.
"Showers on Sunday will be most numerous around the central and eastern Great Lakes," Pydynowski said. "There will likely be more showers around New England on Monday than on Sunday, but the weekend will still end on a cloudy and dreary note."
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Rainfall amounts are expected to stay under a half of an inch for most across the Great Lakes and Northeast, though a few locations under more persistent downpours can have locally higher amounts.
"Any rainfall will be beneficial in western New York and parts of New England that are suffering from a severe to extreme drought," Pydynowski said.
The low cloud ceilings can cause delays at local airports, while localized downpours may cause slow travel on the road. Slick conditions may develop where wet leaves are covering roads.
Fans headed to outdoor sporting events will want to be sure to bring a poncho, rain jacket and/or umbrella.

Highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s will be common across much of New England and eastern New York on Sunday.
"Highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s are expected around the eastern Great Lakes," Pydynowski said. "With some breaks of sunshine, there can be isolated thunderstorms and waterspouts on the lakes."
The mid-Atlantic will not be as cool as Saturday to end the weekend with temperatures returning to the 70s in many communities.
As northern New England and the Great Lakes dry out on Tuesday, clouds and drizzle will continue to dampen the rest of the Northeast coast.
While most of the Northeast will finally get a break from the stubborn clouds and showers at midweek, all eyes from Florida to Maine will need to monitor the progress of Hurricane Matthew, which could approach the Atlantic Seaboard later this week.