Cooler and Wetter Weather on the Horizon for the Northeast

The weather is about to get soggier for much of the eastern U.S. as a wetter pattern sets up from the Ohio Valley and into New England. Here is a look at what this part of the country can expect for the first week of the astronomical fall.

Fall is in the Air for the Northeast and Ohio Valley

It is starting to look and feel more like autumn in the Northeast and beyond. The upcoming weather will carry this theme through with wetter and cooler conditions on the horizon. This will be in stark contrast to the first half of September, a period that featured warm and dry weather.

A large swath of land from the Ohio Valley, through Pennsylvania, and into the mid-Atlantic is forecast to see noticeably cooler temperatures and frequent rounds of rain showers. A few thunderstorms may even sneak into the picture for the first few days of the new work week.

The beginning of the week will feature a slow-moving weather maker that is dipping down from southeastern Canada and into the Tennessee Valley. Another storm system will follow behind, setting up the soggy pattern for the region.

The coastal areas of New England have already seen a thorough soaking thanks to a storm that came in from the Atlantic packing plenty of moisture. How wet was it? Over 5 inches of rain was recorded on Nantucket in the period between Thursday and Saturday. Cape Cod also picked up substantial rain out of this system.

While coastal New England got in on this rain action over the last few days, it has been exceptionally dry across the Ohio Valley. For instance, Columbus, Ohio has only seen 3% of its usual rainfall for the month through September 22. This is a continuation of the dry summer for the capital city.

That will change this week when Columbus is forecast to see scattered thunderstorms packing strong winds and small hail on Tuesday. The chance of rain will linger into the early part of Wednesday. After a brief break from the moisture on Thursday, more rain is in the forecast for Friday and into the weekend.

In the Northeast, metro areas such as New York City and Philadelphia have measured less than 10% of the historical average of rain by this point in September. For example, New York City has seen just 0.24 of an inch of rain this month through September 21. The average by this date is 3 inches.

The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor demonstrates that exceptional levels of drought are present across parts of southern Ohio and West Virginia. The good news is that this zone is likely going to pick up meaningful moisture this week as the two systems push through.

The greatest chance of storms will happen on Tuesday for the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Forecasters are warning that wind gusts ranging between 55 and 65 mph are likely with the strongest storm cells. Torrential rain is also possible at times.

The forecast is calling for widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches for the Ohio Valley and into the mid-Atlantic. While the moisture is welcome in the parched region, there will be the chance of flooding in areas where leaves are already on the ground. It is not unusual for heavy rain to pair with fallen leaves to clog storm drains and create flooding concerns.

The extended dry period in the Northeast is likely to come to an end by the middle of the week. New York City is forecast to pick up a minimum of 0.25 - 0.50 of an inch of rainfall by Wednesday. More moisture is on deck for later in the week when a potential tropical weather maker moves into the Gulf of Mexico.