It has been a beautiful week across the Northeastern US. It has greened up quickly. Temps in the 70s and 80s all week long have broken the cabin fever most feel in this part of the country far longer than they have to. But it’s also, only the middle of May. The normal high temperatures are in the 60s and 70s in this region of the country, and for a week we’ve been running anywhere from 10-25 degrees above that. It’s time for it to come to an end and this weekend is the turning point.
Most of Pennsylvania, NJ, NY and New England have one more good day in the tank and it’s today. Showers and thunderstorms will spring up from the south as our “cut-off” storm, the same one that wrecked last Mother’s Day weekend for many, especially south of I-90, it’s back and will be the moisture source for this one. If you have not mowed the lawn, get it done today. Sunday and Monday look to have many more showers and thunderstorms around. Not a washout either day, but it will be wet with periods of heavier rain and thunderstorms. These storms at this time do not appear to be trending towards severe. Behind the system on Tuesday, heading through the rest of next week, it’s going to be a lot cooler. Temps mainly in the 50s, 60s with some lower 70s, so trending at to a little below normal.
Across the Southeast, today is the day we finally say “buh-bye” to this cut-off storm that has ravaged some parts of the Carolinas now for a 9th day in a row. You folks in eastern North Carolina, the Tidewater of Virginia and the Delmarva, my God I’m so sorry for what you’ve been thrown the last week. It felt like you were never going to break out. Today is the last day of widespread showers and thunderstorms in this area. It gets better next week. I PROMISE!
Across the interior Southeast, Appalachians and west bound into the Ohio Valley, it will not be 100% dry but not a washout either day this weekend. Scattered storms between the cut-off storm and the approaching cold front in the Mississippi Valley will be around. Enough to keep an eye on the radar but not enough to cancel plans and call in a rain-check. This moves out and leaves next week sunny and warm, especially south of the Ohio River where summer will go into full effect.
In the Plains, here comes summer. Especially Texas and Oklahoma. It’s gonna get hot again. It’s going to stay hot. Pray for the water shortages especially west of I-35 into the high plains and the southern Rockies. Here they’ve had a little relief but years and years of drought won’t be solved by a few days of rain. It’s going to be a long summer here. At a time we need all food production and yields to be maxed out, it’s not looking good the closer to the Rockies you get. Just keep praying for the farmers.
The Pacific NW remains unsettled and cool. This chilly May will continue for a little while longer and actually reload later this week across the northern Rockies and Pacific NW. Summer will get here eventually. It’s just not going to be in the next week. Here, water is also desperately needed. This spell won’t end the drought by any means, but anything will help and at least this takes time off the clock for trouble this summer and fall once the sun does come out and blazing hot. It will. Just not yet.
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