Damp days are numbered in the northeast US

Umbrellas will get a break in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley as “the best day in nearly two weeks” is on the horizon following days of damp, dreary weather and a lack of sunshine.

There is good news for residents of the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley who have dealt with days of damp, dreary weather and a lack of sunshine during the latter part of September.

"After what has felt like a never-ending stretch of cloudy skies and occasional rain across portions of the Northeast over the past week or so, there will be drier days and sunshine returning later this week and into the weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

The weather during September across the mid-Atlantic can be summed up in two parts: warm and dry for the first half of the month and cloudy and rainy for the second half.

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As of Sept. 30, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond and Columbus, Ohio, are among the locations where rain had been reported for nine or more consecutive days. Meanwhile, New England has largely remained under the influence of an area of high pressure, which has kept the region sheltered from day after day of rain.

Low clouds with areas of rain and drizzle will remain prominent across the central Appalachians and extend off the mid-Atlantic coast through Tuesday as a storm in the upper part of the atmosphere slowly drifts east. This same storm absorbed Helene over the weekend but, stuck in a zone of light winds in the atmosphere, has been slow to exit the eastern United States.

"An approaching front will finally kick the residual clouds and moisture off the East Coast between Wednesday and Thursday, allowing for high pressure and drier air to take hold of the region between Thursday and Friday," Buckingham said.

The cooling effects of the front will be most noticeable across the Midwest, where temperatures will tumble from their summerlike levels for the first day of October. Showers will tend to dwindle and become more widely separated as the front progresses from west to east at midweek, and the cooling effects of the front will become less pronounced.

"The most notable difference will be the drop in humidity levels, especially across the interior Northeast, and increased brightness from fewer clouds," Buckingham said. "Thursday could be the best day in nearly two weeks across the mid-Atlantic to work on fall cleanup projects outdoors or leaf peep without the threat of rain."

High temperatures will largely be in the 70s across the region, which is 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average for early October. Historical average highs start to decrease by a degree or two every 2-3 days as the amount of daylight dwindles in October.

Another quick-moving front is expected to sweep through the Northeast later Friday into Saturday, potentially bringing a batch of steady rain to New England and stray showers to the mid-Atlantic. If the speed of this front remains progressive, a majority of the first weekend of October could remain dry, which is great news for fall foliage viewing, apple picking and other outdoor activities.

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