Special Weather Discussion

Latest Weather Discussion by Kyle Elliott

* beneficial rain on saturday followed by a nice start to next week *

11:45 a.m. Friday, April 24, 2026, Update:

An area of high pressure over the Northeast is promoting a continuation of partly-to-mostly sunny and pleasantly warm conditions across northern MD, southeastern PA and the Lower Susquehanna Valley on this last Friday in April. A backdoor cold front moving slowly southwestward through eastern PA will be the focal point for isolated showers and perhaps a stray thunderstorm this afternoon, but most areas should remain dry with high temperatures in the mid 70s to perhaps 80°F (see below). Unfortunately, the unseasonably warm and beautiful weather won't stick around for the upcoming weekend.

Instead, a storm system tracking from the Great Lakes region to the mid-Atlantic coastline will bring showers and periods of steadier rain to the region from late tonight through early Sunday morning. The system will be forced to track underneath a strengthening high pressure system over eastern Canada. Essentially, the high will serve as an "atmospheric traffic jam" and cause the system to track southeastward instead of in a more traditional east-to-northeastward direction. East-to-northeasterly flow off the Atlantic will strengthen later tonight through Saturday night, cause low clouds to develop and hang tough through Sunday, and result in much chillier conditions over the weekend. Easterly winds of 10-20 mph will accompany tomorrow's wet weather, and northeasterly winds of 12-25 mph are expected on Sunday. Temperatures will likely bottom out into the upper 40s to low 50s tonight and struggle to climb more than a few degrees on Saturday. A few showers will dot the region later tonight through most of tomorrow morning before steadier rain overspreads the Lower Susquehanna Valley from northwest-to-northeast during the late-morning and early-afternoon hours. Steady, light-to-moderate rain will then continue through Saturday evening, but it should gradually taper off after midnight and push south/east of the I-95 corridor before daybreak. Some areas of mist and drizzle may linger through 7-8 AM Sunday morning, but the second half of the weekend should generally be dry.

Most areas will receive 0.25-0.50" of beneficial rain through early Sunday morning with locally higher amounts up to 0.75". Due to the ongoing drought, the rain will be largely beneficial despite its poor timing. It might be a good idea to cancel any outdoor plans Saturday afternoon and evening and reschedule them for another day. Tomorrow's weather will be downright nasty and of the raw, damp and dreary variety. If you do go outside, make sure to have an umbrella, rain gear and jacket handy.. you'll definitely need them. As mentioned above, northeasterly flow will persist behind the system on Sunday and cause mostly cloudy and chilly conditions to linger with high temperatures likely in the mid-to-upper 50s once again (see below). Ocean water temperatures along the mid-Atlantic coastline are still relatively low (near 50°F), so any easterly flow off the Atlantic typically results in below-normal temperatures and stubborn, low clouds this time of the year. It's just one of the things we deal with here in eastern PA during the springtime months. Ugh!

Fortunately, an area of high pressure will build back into New England early next week and exert its influence down the eastern slopes of the Appalachians. As a result, the easterly flow off the Atlantic will relax, and drier air should seep southwestward out of New England and cause the low clouds to dissipate later Sunday into Sunday night. Next week will then kick off on a mostly sunny and seasonable note with high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s on Monday following a chilly Sunday night with lows around 40°F. The high pressure system should still remain in control of our weather on Tuesday, but skies will likely turn at least partly cloudy in advance of the next disturbance approaching from the Ohio Valley. At this distance, the system looks very weak and starved for moisture, so I expect no more than scattered showers to impact northern MD and southeastern PA later Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Tuesday itself will likely turn out partly sunny and seasonable with highs in the mid 60s to perhaps 70°F, and Wednesday may also be a fairly nice day depending on the disturbance's exact timing. The forecast during the middle and end of next week has a relatively high degree of uncertainty at this distance, so check back Tuesday for an update! Until then, stay warm and dry over the weekend. While awful for outdoor activities, the weather will be ideal for watching the NFL draft or Blue/White Game at Penn State from the comfort of your own home. You certainly won't miss anything by not being outside.. -- Elliott

11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2026:

Following last week's stint of record-challenging heat, residents across the mid-Atlantic States woke up to a widespread, hard freeze this morning. This brutal "taste of reality" is certainly a difficult pill for warm-weather lovers like myself to swallow, but warmer conditions will make a quick comeback during the second half of the week. Southerly winds on the backside of a high pressure system over the western Atlantic will combine with mostly sunny skies to boost high temperatures back into the mid-to-upper 50s this afternoon. Although still about 10°F below average, it won't feel too chilly outside due to the high sun angle and light winds. A weak disturbance will traverse the mid-Atlantic States from northwest-to-southeast spanning tonight into Wednesday morning, but it will be starved for moisture. Thus, only isolated rain showers will impact northern MD, southeastern PA and the Lower Susquehanna Valley between ~3-10 AM Wednesday, and rainfall amounts should not exceed 0.05" (see below). Skies will turn mostly cloudy this evening and remain overcast through the mid-morning hours on Wednesday before gradually clearing from the late-morning into the early-afternoon hours. Low temperatures tonight will be much higher than last night on account of the clouds and generally in the 40s. High temperatures on Wednesday should also be more typical of late April and reach the mid 60s to low 70s from northeast-to-southwest across the region.

A high pressure system will settle into the Commonwealth from Wednesday night into Thursday and promote mainly clear and pleasant conditions with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s and highs in the mid 70s, respectively (see below). It will certainly be a great day to get outside after work or school and enjoy the great outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt. Count me in! The high pressure should remain in control of the weather from Thursday night into Friday, but a "backdoor" cold front approaching from the northeast may trigger a few showers Friday afternoon. However, most areas should remain dry, and I expect high temperatures Friday afternoon to be similar to or just a few degrees lower than Thursday. Unfortunately, conditions will then deteriorate just in time for the start of the weekend.

A storm system will be forced to track underneath a strengthening high pressure system over eastern Canada. Essentially, the high will serve as an "atmospheric traffic jam" and cause the system to track from the Great Lakes region to the southern mid-Atlantic coastline spanning Friday night to Sunday morning. Its exact track and intensity will determine how much rain falls across the Lower Susquehanna Valley, but you'll certainly need to have an umbrella, rain gear and jacket handy on Saturday. Easterly flow off the Atlantic will strengthen from Friday night into Saturday, cause low clouds to develop and hang tough through Sunday, and result in much chillier conditions over the weekend. Temperatures will likely drop into the upper 40s by Saturday morning and struggle to reach the mid-to-upper 50s during the afternoon hours, and Sunday could be equally as cool despite the absence of rain. Ocean water temperatures along the mid-Atlantic coastline are still very chilly in late April, so any easterly flow off the Atlantic typically results in below-normal temperatures and stubborn, low clouds this time of the year. Next week's forecast is currently rife with uncertainty and dependent on the timing and track of additional storm systems, so check back Friday for an update! One thing's for sure: 80-degree warmth won't return for the foreseeable future. Yuck! -- Elliott