Rain on the way? Parched Northeast hopes to fend off budding drought
A wet holiday weekend could be in the cards for parts of the Northeast as AccuWeather meteorologists look ahead to the next chance for rain across the generally dry area.
After a very dry mid-May, the weekend was soggy for some across the Northeast, but especially in New England. Rainfall amounts in excess of 1 inch fell on Saturday and were widespread from eastern New Jersey to New Hampshire and Maine. Some areas even reported closer to 2 inches of rain.
After a mainly dry morning on Saturday, Boston reported 1.94 inches of rain in the afternoon and through Saturday night, while Portland, Maine, reported 2.16 inches of rain. One of the highest rainfall reports was in Providence, Rhode Island, where 3.02 inches was reported, a value nearing the historical average for the entire month of May, which is 3.37 inches.
Sunday was the start of yet another spell of dry weather for the area, which will last through the first half of the week for many.
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"Prior to the weekend rain, rainfall had been 10% of the historical average or less in a number of major cities in the Northeast including Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. Rainfall for much of the region as a whole is generally 25% of the historical average or less," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The recent dryness is also reflective in the drought status across the eastern U.S., where half a dozen pockets of abnormally dry areas can be found, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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While mostly dry conditions are likely to persist this week, AccuWeather meteorologist caution not every location will be rain-free.
A few waves of atmospheric energy will push into the Northeast during the first half of the week. The air mass in the region will be so dry that it will be hard to get much rain.
During the afternoon and early evening hours through Tuesday, "a few stray showers and thunderstorms could pop up in the higher elevations of Pennsylvania, New York and southwestern New England" said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
Additionally, a front is expected to sweep from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Coast on Wednesday, bringing areas of showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms that could put an and to the dry stretch over a larger region.
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Behind the rainfall, a new Canadian air mass will move into the region, bringing another round of dry air, but also noticeably chillier conditions.
Temperatures both Thursday and Friday are forecast to be below historical averages for late May. High temperatures in Pittsburgh are expected to be in the upper 60s F. Similar temperatures are expected for cities such as Syracuse and Albany, New York.
Early morning low temperatures across the region may be the most extreme. Widespread temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s are likely Thursday and Friday morning from western Virginia to Michigan and Maine. Still, some spots could see temperatures approaching freezing at least one of the two mornings.
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It's not out of the question that some of the normally colder spots could see areas of frost or freeze in the final days of May.
"Residents across the Northeast who have already planted more sensitive vegetation may need to protect their crops and flowers," warned Buckingham. While a bit of frost is possible late Wednesday night to Thursday morning over the northern tier of the Northeast, frost is likely from parts of the central Appalachians to central and northern New England late Thursday night to Friday morning.
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A moderation of temperatures is forecast as the week closes out and the holiday Memorial Day weekend approaches. However, the impending warmup does not mean the holiday weekend will stay dry for those celebrating.
The same coastal storm, and possible tropical system, that is forecast to bring rounds of drenching rainfall to the southeastern U.S. and Florida this week is likely to track northward over the Memorial Day weekend. Just how close to the coast this disturbance travels will dictate how wet the holiday weekend will become.
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Should the storm stay closer to the East Coast, rainfall will be more likely to douse beaches from the mid-Atlantic to southern New England. If the storm were to track farther east, the majority of the East Coast could stay dry for the holiday weekend.
Those hoping to make outdoor plans for Memorial Day weekend are urged to keep checking back with AccuWeather as meteorologists monitor the weather forecast for the holiday.
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