Fall-like air to follow weekend storms in Northeast

Labor Day will mark the start of a comfortable weather pattern across the Northeast, but the next big rainstorm may already be on the horizon.

A wide variety of weather conditions is likely to affect the northeastern United States during the first week of September, with locally severe thunderstorms preceding some delightful days on Monday and Tuesday. However, AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring the potential for a big rainstorm late next week and during the first full weekend of September.

The slow approach of a strong cool front will be the main focusing point for drenching showers and locally severe thunderstorms in the Eastern states through Sunday.

Following severe thunderstorms into Friday night from southeastern Michigan to eastern Missouri, thunderstorms are forecast to gain strength from the heating of the day once again on Saturday but farther to the east around the Great Lakes and the Midwest.

Locally severe storms to rattle, drench the East

From Saturday afternoon to Saturday evening, the greatest risk of severe thunderstorms will extend from central New York state to eastern Kentucky. The risk zone includes much of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and central and southeastern Ohio.

Within this zone, at least some severe thunderstorms are likely to occur, packing damaging wind gusts, hail, frequent lightning strikes and torrential downpours that may trigger isolated flash flooding. Lightning will be the biggest concern for those outdoors, whether attending picnics or football games.

There is some potential for a cluster of severe thunderstorms to extend farther to the east in the zone from the upper Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay, possibly affecting the downtown areas of Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia toward Saturday evening.

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A zone of cool air will likely prevent widespread severe thunderstorm activity from much of New England to the upper mid-Atlantic coast, but there may still be some more robust storms in these areas, especially north of New York City.

On Sunday, the main severe weather threat zone will shift farther to the south and east.

The severe weather risk on Sunday afternoon and evening will extend from eastern Tennessee to much of northern North Carolina, nearly all of Virginia and Delaware, as well as southeastern West Virginia, central and southern Maryland and southern New Jersey.

It is possible that some robust thunderstorms may occur in eastern New England as well on Sunday.

Along with the risk of frequent lightning strikes in the strongest storms, damaging wind gusts and flash flooding are likely. Those on the roads or at the airports may encounter delays.

Pleasant days await next week

By Labor Day, an area of high pressure from the Midwest will stretch to include much of the Northeast.

For some, the air will feel like fall, with bright sunshine, low humidity, cool nights and reasonably warm afternoons.

"By far, Monday will represent the best day of the extended holiday weekend for the Northeast, weighing in dry weather and comfortable conditions," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.

The fall-like conditions will continue through at least Tuesday and perhaps into Wednesday and Thursday.

Watching for an early-September rainstorm

There are signs of trouble toward the end of next week and into the first weekend of September as a storm may spread northward from the southern U.S.

Portions of the Gulf Coast states and some areas well inland will experience clouds, showers and thunderstorms for much of next week.

A gathering storm will begin to move to the north or northeast later next week, AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Depending on the track, it could spread heavy rain into the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians or be more of a coastal storm with the back edge of the rain near the Appalachians.

"Should the storm travel offshore a bit, it could even acquire some tropical characteristics," Rayno cautioned. AccuWeather is monitoring a tropical rainstorm that could evolve into a depression in the Gulf of Mexico this weekend near the Texas coast. At the very least this storm will bring heavy rain to portions of eastern Texas and southern Louisiana through through Sunday.

Exactly where the storm tracks and how strong it gets will determine how far inland drenching rain extends and how gusty winds might be along the Atlantic coast. More of a coastal storm could raise coastal flooding concerns.

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