Last Weekend of Meteorological Summer Will Feel More Like Fall for Northeast

Although it is still the last weekend of the meteorological summer, it will already begin to feel like fall across the Northeast thanks to a cooler air mass coming in behind the line of severe weather. This new weather pattern will usher in cooler temperatures and less humidity just in time for the start of the meteorological fall on September 1. Here is what you can expect this weekend across the Northeast and beyond.

Storms Mark the Arrival of New Weather Pattern

A large part of the central and eastern U.S. is cleaning up on Friday after a series of deadly storms rushed through the region on Thursday night. Over 600,000 customers in the Midwest and the Ohio Valley were left without power due to the high winds associated with these storms. Officials estimate that some of these power outages will linger though the weekend

At least five deaths in Michigan were blamed on these storm cells at the hands of car accidents and fallen trees. The severe weather then pushed into Ohio and Pennsylvania, generating peak wind gusts of 70 mph.

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Detroit is currently surveying the damage left behind by the storms to determine if there was any tornadic activity. Preliminary damage reports indicate that at least one twister may have hit the area.

Cold Front Ushers in Dramatically Cooler Temperatures

These powerful storms were a sign of a drastic change in the weather pattern. A cold front pushing through the Midwest and Great Lakes will make its way to the Northeast for the last weekend of August.

The cold front sweeping down from Canada will trigger the chance of more severe weather heading into the weekend as the cooler air clashes with the warm air mass already in place. The highest chance of severe storms on Friday will be focused on an area from southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky down into the northern reaches of North Carolina and southern Virginia. Friday’s severe weather threats in this region include gusty winds and frequent bouts of heavy rain.

The risk of stormy conditions will move farther to the south on Saturday, encompassing much of the Tennessee Valley and the Southeast. Major cities in the crosshairs of Saturday’s storms include Charlotte and Nashville.

The arrival of the cold front will bring much-needed relief from the heat for the Great Lakes and the interior portions of the Northeast by the weekend. Once the storms exit this part of the country, you can expect an area of high pressure to set up.

Real Feel Temperatures Will Also Plummet

How much cooler will it get? The front will trim temperatures up to 20 degrees by Sunday. It will be an unseasonably cool few days for places such as New York City and Boston. For instance, the mercury will struggle to hit the 80-degree mark in New York City on Sunday. Boston will top out with a high of about 71 degrees on Sunday. Temperatures in this range are more typical of the last part of September.

The real feel temperatures will also take a nosedive as humidity levels plummet. Although high pressure systems are generally associated with sunny conditions, you cannot rule out the chance of sporadic rain showers and thunderstorms over the next few days in the Northeast. However, the weekend will not be a total washout. Your best bet when planning outdoor activities is to check the hourly forecast in your community and plan accordingly.

The unsettled weather pattern will hang on into the early part of next week. Temperatures will begin a slow climb upwards, encouraging the humidity levels to do the same.

The long-range forecast is calling for another cold front to drift through the Great Lakes and the Northeast starting on Wednesday. This will work to bring down temperatures once again for the Labor Day weekend. Stay tuned as meteorologists continue to fine tune the forecast for the holiday that signifies the end of summer.

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