Fall-like air to follow weekend storms in Northeast
A wide variety of weather conditions is likely to affect the northeastern United States during the first week of September, with some delightful days in store for Monday and Tuesday after locally severe thunderstorms drenched portions of the region over the weekend. However, AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring the potential for a big rainstorm late this week and during the first full weekend of September.
Strong to severe thunderstorms rolled across portions of the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic on Saturday. Reports of damaging winds extended from western and central Pennsylvania to eastern Kentucky and western Virginia. Thunderstorms also caused a delay in college football in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday afternoon.
Through Sunday evening, the main severe weather threat zone shifted farther to the south and east across mid-Atlantic states and Carolinas. Numerous reports of damaging wind gusts occurred across this region, mainly in Virginia and North Carolina.
By Labor Day, an area of high pressure from the Midwest will stretch to include much of the Northeast.
For some, the air will feel like fall, with bright sunshine, low humidity, cool nights and reasonably warm afternoons.
"By far, Monday will represent the best day of the extended holiday weekend for the Northeast, weighing in dry weather and comfortable conditions," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
The fall-like conditions will continue through at least Wednesday and perhaps Thursday.
There are signs of trouble toward the end of this week and into the first weekend of September as a storm may spread northward from the southern U.S.
Portions of the Gulf Coast states and some areas well inland will experience clouds, showers and thunderstorms for much of this week.
A gathering storm will begin to move to the north or northeast later this week, AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
Depending on the track, it could spread heavy rain into the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians or be more of a coastal storm with the back edge of the rain near the Appalachians.
"Should the storm travel offshore a bit, it could even acquire some tropical characteristics," Rayno cautioned. AccuWeather is monitoring a tropical rainstorm that will bring heavy rain to portions of eastern Texas and southern Louisiana through Monday evening. There is a small chance this rainstorm will organize into a tropical depression near the coast.
Exactly where the storm tracks and how strong it gets will determine how far inland drenching rain extends and how gusty winds might be along the Atlantic coast. More of a coastal storm could raise coastal flooding concerns.
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