Heat and Humidity on the Rise in the Northeastern U.S.

Mother Nature did the Northeast a favor on the Fourth of July, delivering pleasant conditions for parades, cookouts, and fireworks shows. However, forecasters are warning that a change is on the way. Here is a look at the hot and steamy forecast.

Hot and Humid Weather Back in the Forecast for the Northeast

The heat and the humidity are making a return to the eastern U.S. The uptick in temperatures comes after a short cooldown for the region earlier in the week. Holiday revelers were treated to near-ideal temperatures and humidity levels on Friday. While temperatures hovered near the average for the beginning of July, humidity levels were actually lower than the norm across most of the Northeast.

The only exceptions to the perfect holiday weather were hazy conditions in parts of eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, thanks to wildfire smoke from Canada, and a few pockets of rain showers in the northern reaches of New England.

An area of high pressure is moving to the south and the east on Saturday, resulting in southerly winds. This change in the wind direction will bring the mercury and humidity up beginning on Sunday. Conditions are forecast to remain dry with an abundance of sunshine.

When the Heat Will Peak

You can expect the temperatures to peak at the end of the weekend and early in the work week. The hot and humid air mass will move into the interior portions of the mid-Atlantic and to the north into New England. While the temperatures will not eclipse the readings recorded during the late June heat wave, it will still feel noticeably warmer. Forecasters are predicting that temperatures will trend above the historical average, potentially challenging some record highs.

For instance, New York City will see a high of 90 degrees on Sunday under mostly sunny skies. The mercury will not reach its highest levels of this stretch until Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The nation's capital is bracing for a high of about 94 degrees at this time.

Humidity levels will be the highest in the coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic. This can be blamed on the arrival of Tropical Storm Chantal to the south. Chantal is forecast to make landfall in South Carolina on Sunday morning. The system will lose its intensity as it moves to the north and the northeast in the hours ahead.

The silver lining for those who are not fans of the heat is that the temperatures will begin to come down on Tuesday and Wednesday. Increasing clouds and rain showers will expand to the east at this time, bringing down the temperatures in the process. You can expect the readings to land at about the historical average at this time.

While temperatures will be back to normal levels by the middle of the week, the moisture-rich air will make it feel warmer. The influx of moisture could also disrupt outdoor plans. The long-range forecast is calling for the precipitation and high humidity to linger into the back half of the week.

Northeast No Stranger to Severe Storms Lately

The Northeast has seen its fair share of rainy and stormy conditions lately. A powerful cluster of thunderstorms roared through central portions of New Jersey last Wednesday, killing at least three people and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

A female died in North Plainfield after a tree and power lines crashed into her vehicle as she was pulled over on the side of Greenbrook Road. Two more fatalities were confirmed in the neighboring community of Plainfield.

The region suffered widespread power outages as a result of the severe weather. As of Friday, there were still almost 32,000 customers in the dark in New Jersey. This was in addition to over 37,000 outages in New York City, 50,000 in Rhode Island, and 20,000 in the state of Massachusetts.

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