Northeast starts May with mild weekend following April's chill

Milder air moving into the northeastern United States will just be a tease this weekend, as forecasters expect cooler conditions to return next week.

April left much to be desired for warm-weather fans across the region with frequent bouts of chilly air paying a visit.

Temperatures ended the month a general 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit below historical averages for many locations. This occurred as average temperatures were climbing about a degree every two to three days.

Dry days were also few and far between last month, with cities such as Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Boston and Syracuse, New York, all ending April with above-normal precipitation.

The month was capped off with a soaking storm that unleashed a widespread 1-3 inches of rainfall and triggered urban and small stream flooding on Thursday.

Spring Creek is seen overflowing outside of the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday afternoon. (Twitter/Becky DePodwin)

Gusty winds accompanying the storm also toppled trees from the Chesapeake Bay region to eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.

"There were hundreds of incidents of fallen trees, flooding of roads and streams out of their banks based on National Weather Service local storm reports from Thursday through Thursday night in the Northeast," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

In this image taken during mid-afternoon on Friday, May 1, 2020, bubbly clouds can be seen over the Appalachians and part of the mid-Atlantic coast indicative of showers and spotty thunderstorms. There was the potential for small hail in some of the thunderstorms. More solid clouds persisted over eastern New England where rain persisted. (NOAA/GOES-East)

An area of high pressure will nudge the last of the damp weather out of most of the region by Saturday, and it will promote an overall milder and sunnier day.

"The transition from cool and damp conditions is likely to happen the fastest over the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic on Saturday but may wait over much of New England until Sunday," Sosnowski said.

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High temperatures in the 60s and 70s F will be felt throughout the region, with it feeling even warmer when the sun is out. By Sunday, highs in the lower 80s could be achieved across the lower part of the mid-Atlantic.

As outdoor recreational activities begin to resume in some states, Saturday may offer the best opportunity to get outside and walk, hike, golf or fish, while maintaining proper social distancing. Any showers will exit eastern New England early in the day and hold off until later in the afternoon across the eastern Great Lakes.

Despite mild weather continuing on Sunday, the end of the weekend is likely to be a bit rainier across the region. Showers and thunderstorms originating in the central U.S. on Saturday night will spread toward the upper mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday.

The steadiest rain may target areas generally south of Interstate 80, including a few of the same locations that were soaked by the slow-moving storm at the end of April. Some rivers in southern Pennsylvania and Maryland are forecast to crest near or just above minor flood stage this weekend following the deluge, and any additional rainfall could delay their recession.

It is not out of the question for some locally gusty thunderstorms to sweep in along the southern periphery of the rain shield across Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay region on Sunday afternoon.

"Behind this system, temperatures will largely be 6-12 degrees below normal across the Midwest and into the Northeast early next week," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

Average temperatures at the beginning of May range from the upper 50s in northern New England to the lower 70s around D.C.

AccuWeather's long-range team expects several more bouts of cooler-than-average air to sweep into the Northeast every few days into the middle of May. Those hoping for hot weather may have to wait until the calendar is fully into the summer months.

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