Little to No Rain in Store for the Northeast in the Near Future

The dry and warm pattern will stick around in the Northeast through the middle of the week. However, forecasters are predicting that the chance of rain in the days ahead will bring down the temperature readings to more seasonable levels while mitigating the risk of wildfires. Read on for the details of this change in the weather.

Warm and Dry Weather Persists Over the Northeast

It has been an exceptionally warm and dry weather pattern for the last several weeks over the northeastern corner of the country. Temperatures have trended well over the historical average for this time of the year, combining with the lack of moisture to create dry brush and grass. The fallen leaves have served as tinder for wildfire development, leading to the ignition of several brush fires across the region over the last week.

Forecasters are warning that the risk of fires will linger until a significant rainfall event happens. The threat of fires will be the highest on the days when the temperatures climb and the winds pick up in intensity. For instance, Wednesday is looking to be particularly worrisome in a zone from Maine and down into West Virginia. Temperatures are forecast to hit the upper 70s in some areas with winds coming in at speeds of 15 to 25 mph out of the south-southwest.

While most people associate fires with the massive wildfires that typically impact the West Coast, all it takes is a tossed cigarette, a spark from outdoor power equipment, or a burning pile of leaves to ignite a brush fire when the conditions are ripe for development and spread. Local officials are urging residents of the Northeast to take care when working with open flames.

The winds are expected to pick up speed in advance of a cool front pushing in from the west. While this front has sufficient amounts of moisture as it swirls over the central U.S., it is likely to lose some of this precipitation as it arrives in the central and northern Appalachians. This will translate to just isolated pockets of rain for the Interstate 95 corridor late Wednesday and Thursday.