AccuWeather forecasters say that a switch up in the pattern will occur in the coming days across portions of the Northeast and Great Lakes, which can usher back in hints of summer warmth for some locations.
A feature bringing damp weather to parts of New England will gradually track eastward away from the coast throughout the day on Sunday, giving residents a reprieve from the rain and thunderstorms. Once this zone of low pressure departs the region, meteorologists say another feature will slowly build southward from Canada and take its place.
“As a storm departs into the Atlantic to start the week, high pressure will move back in from Canada. This zone of high pressure will tend to dominate the pattern for much of the week as a sprawling disturbance settles across the southeastern United States, leading to several days of generally dry conditions,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton.
In addition to drier weather for most across the mid-Atlantic states and New England, conditions are expected to trend a few degrees higher on Sunday and Monday as the high pressure takes over and pushes westward over the Great Lakes. Locations such as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are progged to have temperatures climb into the upper 80s Fahrenheit on Father’s Day and the start of the week, roughly 2-4 degrees above the historical averages for mid-June.
Residents in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Maryland, and a few locations in northern Virginia could even contend with reaching the 90-degree mark on Monday as this pattern takes hold of the region. If this occurs, this will mark the second time this month that Baltimore-Washington International Airport could observe a 90-degree day after reaching a whopping 97 F back on June 2.
However, conditions will not be as warm by Tuesday in Philadelphia, and the nation’s capital as daytime temperatures are expected only to reach the lower 80s F. Even spots farther south around Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina, will notice a cooling trend by Tuesday, transitioning from near 90 F at the end of this weekend to the 70s F as the controlling feature of high pressure nudges westward.
Throughout the upcoming week, drier and noticeably warmer conditions will be the central theme from the Dakotas to parts of northern New York on eastward to Maine. While many locations will climb into the middle to upper 80s F for most of the week, a swath of the Midwest can observe multiple days reaching into the lower 90s F as Mother Nature’s thermostat is cranked up.
“A wide swath of territory could be in line for substantial warmth, with temperatures likely approaching 90 F in places such as Lansing, Michigan, from Tuesday to at least Thursday and highs around 90 F, possibly even reaching Bangor, Maine, Thursday and Friday,” pointed out Thornton.
Thornton added that historical average high temperatures are right around 80 F in Lansing this time of year and only in the mid-70s F in Bangor. The upcoming temperatures represent values well above both cities’ highest historical averages.
Looking at the upper-level pattern, a northward bulge in the jet stream will linger over the Great Lakes throughout much of the week. This pattern indicates that this summer warmup will stay for several days as high pressure remains locked over the region.
In addition to warmth building across the Midwest and interior Northeast, forecasters are concerned that this pattern can circulate wildfire smoke and hazy skies southward from Ontario and Quebec, Canada. As steering winds churn clockwise around the zone of high pressure and pull area smoke down into Michigan and portions of northern New York, the results can range from hazy sunshine to reduced air quality and visibility.
On Saturday, hazy skies were observed across much of the Northeast and Ohio Valley as upper-level smoke spread across the region. As a result, unhealthy air quality levels were recorded in cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Forecasters say that hazy sunshine may even be noticed this week in portions of the upper Ohio Valley and parts of the mid-Atlantic region. Always check AccuWeather.com for the latest updates on your local air quality and how the smoke and haze can impact your area.
AccuWeather Long-Range Forecasters have been closely monitoring how the weather pattern will trend by the end of the month, stating that the dome of high pressure about to grip the Midwest will likely hold on through the next weekend. Additional days without rainfall in this region will only worsen drought conditions. Currently, parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are facing moderate to severe drought levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
By the end of the month, storms can begin to ramp up across the Plains and Midwest and bring a much-needed return of moisture. A pattern featuring cold fronts swinging southward from central Canada into the East Coast can even bring storms to the Northeast during the last week of June.
Produced in association with AccuWeather
