“Employers from the Midwest to the East Coast should be on ‘hooky watch’”

Following recent heat, residents of the mid-Atlantic and their air conditioners will enjoy a break for the next several days with cooler temperatures and low humidity all around.

Also gone will be drenching thunderstorms, which plagued the region over the weekend, leading to some localized flooding and damage. In their place will be plenty of sunshine and a drier flow along northwesterly winds.

The corridor enjoying this “high pressure special” through Wednesday will stretch from the Great Lakes through the mid-Atlantic and south to the Carolinas. Charleston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and Raleigh will all have temperatures several degrees cooler than experienced last week.

In some instances, high temperatures will even be 5 to 10 degrees below what is normal for this time of year, a marked improvement over temperatures in the 90s to near 100 just a few days ago.

Also in stark contrast to late last week, AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures which ran much higher than the actual thermometer reading during the heat wave will remain within a few degrees of the mercury, signaling lower humidity levels.

For school children and teachers, the timing couldn’t be better, as the last day of school occurs for many this week.

Low pressure associated with thunderstorms will approach the “high pressure special” zone by Thursday and Friday.

While we can promise cooler temperatures, we cannot guarantee a dry and cloud-free afternoon for all locations. One of the sources for the cool air, an upper-level low pressure system hanging out over New England, will help kick off a few widely scattered showers and thunderstorms both today and on Tuesday.

While upstate New York and New England have the best shot to stay cloudy and get wet, a few storms could sneak south into Pennsylvania, the Tri-State area and the Delmarva, especially on Tuesday. The best chance for rain will come each afternoon and evening.

As the high pressure breaks down later on Wednesday, thunderstorms will become more of an issue by Thursday and Friday, however the thermometer should still hang around what is typical for mid-June.

Until then, employers from the Midwest to the East Coast should be on “hooky watch”, as residents may be eager to enjoy what might be a rare break from heat and humidity as we head toward the dog days of summer.