The East's Hottest Days of the Year Are Coming, Then More Rain

The start of October is going to be a warm one for much of the East Coast. Enjoy the warmth while it lasts, as another wet weekend is on the horizon for this part of the country.

Warm Start to October for the Northeast

Summer is going to make a return appearance to the East, on the heels of last weekend's nor'easter. It will feel more like August than October for a large swath of the eastern U.S. by the middle of the week as unseasonably warm temperatures spread across the region. This is likely to be some of the warmest weather for the rest of the year for the millions of people who live along the Interstate 95 corridor.

The sudden uptick in temperatures will be quite noticeable after highs that have been hovering in the 50s and 60s for the last several days. Metro areas such as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. will hit the mid-80s on Thursday before approaching the 90-degree mark by Friday. For context, average temperatures hover in the low 70s in this part of the U.S. during the first few days of October, meaning that readings will hit about 15 degrees above the historical average.

More Rain Ahead for the Weekend

A front tracking through the region by the weekend will bring temperatures back down again. There is also a chance that tropical moisture originating from an atmospheric river in the Gulf may creep far enough to the north to impact the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. The movement of this rain could translate to another rainout of a weekend for the East Coast.

At the very least, heavy rain and the threat of localized flooding are forecast to erupt across the Southeast by the end of the work week. Cities such as New Orleans, Nashville, and Atlanta should prepare for rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches by the end of the weekend.

This rainy pattern could disrupt a busy day of college football games on Saturday. A number of top 25 teams will be in action across college towns such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Starkville, Mississippi. Fans will want to be prepared for the chance of lightning delays if thunderstorms roll through the region.

Moving to the north, residents of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast will want to plan outdoor activities for Saturday. This will be the best day of the weekend for a visit to the pumpkin patch or to check out the fall foliage. Rain and the chance of thunderstorms will push north on Saturday night and into Sunday for urban areas such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York City, and Boston.

Even if the rain does not reach this far north, it will still feel like fall in the Northeast as the arrival of the cold front brings temperatures back down to normal levels. Stay tuned for all of the latest forecast details as we keep tabs on how the cold front and the tropical moisture to the south will interact.

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