Special Weather Discussion

Latest Weather Discussion by Kyle Elliott

* a more seasonable and temperate week with rain on saturday *

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