Waning Days of Summer Will be Warm and Dry for Much of Eastern U.S.

While much of the Atlantic coastline will see heavy rain and flooding during the waning days of the astronomical summer, the rest of the central and eastern U.S. is expected to remain high and dry. Here is a look at what the last days of summer will bring to this part of the country.

Compact Coastal Storm Exception to Dry Pattern Out East

Drought conditions will expand in the days ahead across the eastern and central portions of the country as temperatures continue to remain toasty and there is no rain in sight. The exception to the dry conditions will be in the coastal areas of the Carolinas and up into the mid-Atlantic. A coastal storm is dumping inches of rain on this stretch of coastline.

While the bulk of the rain will remain confined to the coastal region, some of the heavy moisture will sneak into Washington, D.C. and parts of eastern Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Rain showers will also impact the major metro areas of Philadelphia and New York City.

In addition to the surge of tropical moisture, the storm is also producing rough surf conditions and dangerous rip currents in a zone from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and up into southern New Jersey. Forecasters are warning that coastal inundation of up to 2 feet is likely late Tuesday during high tide. Localized urban flooding is also possible in areas farther inland. Other impacts of this coastal storm include high winds, frequent lightning strikes, and beach erosion.

It will be a different story moving inland. Warm and dry weather will distinguish the next few days in the area from northern Florida and up into Maine, and moving west to the Mississippi River basin. The summerlike conditions will hang on up to the end of the astronomical season on Monday, September 22.

For example, temperatures will hover between 5 and 15 degrees over the historical average for most of the swath of land west of the Appalachians and to the Mississippi River through the rest of this week. This will translate to highs in the 80s for most of the Midwest. Some communities in this zone will see the mercury reach the low 90s, resulting in the chance of new record highs.

While the heat is unusual for this time of the year, it is typical to see extended periods of dry weather across the central and eastern U.S. This is because the thunderstorm activity that accounts for the majority of the precipitation events during the summer tends to wane heading into the fall season. Lower humidity levels boost the dryness.

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