Brief Cooldown on the Way for the Northeast by End of Week

The temperature whiplash is going to continue for the Northeast in the days ahead. Unfortunately, so will the increasingly dry conditions. The lack of moisture will raise the threat of wildfires in this corner of the country. Here is a more detailed look at this whacky fall forecast.

Extreme Temperature Swings Will Continue

The extreme temperature swings are going to continue for the Northeast and beyond, making it important to check the daily forecast each day before heading out. While some days you may need to bundle up, other days you will be able to get away with a light jacket in the early morning hours.

Temperatures have swung by up to 40 degrees within a period of a day or two at times this fall. The upcoming weather pattern is not going to feature this great of a fluctuation, however, the mercury will still be anything but steady and predictable. In addition, the natural fluctuation of temperatures between the early morning and evening hours will mean that residents will want to be prepared for a variety of conditions.

The unseasonable warmth will linger through Wednesday for the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic. Temperatures are predicted to hover well over the historical average for this region and down into the Appalachians. Some parts of the region will inch up into the 80s, high enough to potentially bring down record highs. For instance, Philadelphia is expected to hit 80 degrees on Wednesday under mostly sunny skies.

The mercury will dip beginning on Thursday thanks to the arrival of a cold front. You can expect readings to slide about 15 to 25 degrees from Wednesday's highs. Philly will top out in the mid 60s on Thursday while winds will pick up to speeds of 10 to 20 mph with the arrival of the frontal boundary.

This cooling trend will translate to widespread readings in the 50s for the higher terrains and up into the 60s for the coastal region. These temperatures will land in the normal range for mid to late October.

Temperatures will once again be on the upswing beginning early next week. This upward track will not be as noticeable as the warmth that enveloped the region over the last few days. The uptick in temperatures will be more pronounced in areas that avoid the rain with some communities seeing readings back in the 70s and 80s during the peak afternoon heating hours.

What About the Rain?

The chances of moisture will also be spotty in nature, meaning that it may be challenging to know if you will need to prepare for rain. A series of fronts coming through the region will trigger some weak storm cells. This will result in spotty rain showers for some areas and ongoing dryness for others. The rain will be the most sporadic and unpredictable for the New England coastline and across the central Appalachians.

Forecasters are blaming the absence of powerful storms coming up from the Gulf of Mexico as well as little moisture from the Atlantic for the extended dry period. Without these surges of moisture in either direction, the atmosphere is not primed to produce rain showers.

While some of the incoming fronts will generate rainfall at times, it is not likely to develop into a widespread rain event. This could mean that some of the major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor will record their driest October on the record books.

Looking at the current records, major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Philadelphia are looking at their driest month ever recorded. For instance, Philadelphia's driest month dating back to the 1800s happened in October of 1963 and in 1924 with both months only picking up 0.09 of an inch of moisture. The City of Brotherly Love has not recorded any measurable rain this month.

The driest month for New York City happened in June of 1949 when just 0.02 of an inch of moisture was recorded. Like Philadelphia, no rain has fallen on the Big Apple in October of 2024. New York City will see a slight chance of rain on Saturday when the next front moves through. After that, a brief rain shower could break out by the middle of next week. There is also a good chance that the metro area avoids any of the incoming precipitation completely.