Northeast in Store for Dry but Smoky Week of Weather

Although the week is not going to feature any widespread storm activity in the Northeast, you cannot rule out the chance of a thunderstorm or two popping up in the coming days. Here is a look at this varied forecast for this corner of the country.

Northeast Will See Mostly Dry Weather Until the Weekend

Mostly dry weather will characterize the conditions this week across the northeastern U.S. With no organized storm system on the horizon, the region will also see stagnant air that makes it more difficult to diffuse the smoke filtering down from the wildfires burning in Canada.

The increase in humidity levels as the week progresses will also support the development of isolated storm activity. After a stormy end to the work week, a large area of high pressure slid into the Northeast from Canada over the weekend. This translated to a great weekend for outdoor activities with cooler temperatures and drier conditions. While the high-pressure zone is moving off of the coast at this time, the weather will remain on the dry side for the next few days.

The lack of widespread moisture will pair with the intense August sunshine to dry out lawns and gardens in the days ahead. Humidity levels will also remain on the lower end until about Wednesday, when more moisture-rich air will move into the region.

The long-range forecast is calling for the humidity levels to take a dip again by the end of the work week before climbing back to typical readings by early next week. This is the time of the year when humidity tends to increase, creating miserable conditions when combined with the intense sunshine.

Despite the increase in humidity, the chances of widespread rain showers are still low. Any rain showers or thunderstorms that do ignite will likely be sporadic in nature.

This will be in stark contrast to the southern Atlantic and the Gulf coastlines, where a persistent stream of moisture remains in place. Some of the downpours could sneak up to the north this week, reaching the southern edge of the Ohio Valley and into West Virginia and the higher terrains of western Virginia.

It is unlikely that the rain reaches Washington, D.C. and areas to the north until the end of the weekend. The nation's capital is forecast to be at the far northern edge of the moisture pushing up from the South.

However, it could be a soggy close to the weekend for Washington, D.C. and a number of major metro areas along the East Coast. This includes the forecast of rain for Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

Forecasters are also warning that there is a chance that a tropical depression or storm could come together along the coast of the Southeast and push inland by the latter part of the week. This would be a similar setup as to the track that Tropical Storm Chantal took over the Fourth of July weekend.

Even if a named storm fails to develop, beachgoers spending time along the southern Atlantic coastline may encounter rough surf conditions and dangerous rip currents.

Wildfire Smoke Continues to Linger in the Northeast and Beyond

Another defining characteristic of the weather pattern this week will be the presence of smoky skies, thanks to the wildfires burning to the north in Canada. The wind patterns will continue to send this smoke to the south and into the Northeast at times throughout the week. The bulk of the smoke will circulate high in the atmosphere, translating to hazy skies and dimmed sunlight. However, there could be times when the smoke reaches the lower levels of the atmosphere, resulting in potentially dangerous air quality levels for those with underlying health conditions.

Air quality alerts were issued in a zone from Wisconsin to Maine on Monday. The smoke was particularly thick across the Great Lakes and the northern tier of New England. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was hovering at "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" levels to start the day across cities such as Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo.

According to Plume Labs, air quality levels are predicted to worsen across the Northeast on Tuesday. For instance, New York City could come in with a rating of "very unhealthy." At this level, even healthy individuals may experience throat and eye irritation or difficulties breathing when spending an extended stretch of time outside.

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