DELMARVA FORECAST
Wednesday night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s
Thursday: Partly to mostly sunny. Winds from the south at 5 to 10 mph. Highs in the upper 70s.
Friday: Partly cloudy with a stray shower possible. Highs in the low 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.
Labor Day: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 84°F. Normal low: 65°F.
Cool temperatures remain the main weather headline on Delmarva as we look ahead to the Labor Day weekend and beyond.
High pressure is dominating the eastern United States Wednesday evening. Clear skies and calm winds will allow temperatures to drop into the mid 50s. A little bit of thin, mid-level cloud could limit how far temperatures fall, but we'll still be quite a ways below normal low temperatures.
As high pressure slides out to sea on Thursday, winds will shift to a more southerly direction, but stay light, at only about 5 to 10 mph. These southerly winds will help push afternoon highs back up to around 80°F. A weak disturbance traveling around an upper trough might develop some thin clouds in the afternoon, but no significant effects on sensible weather are expected.
A weak cold front will swing across Delmarva on Friday. The main effect of this front will be some increased clouds for Friday and Saturday, and a reinforcing shot of cool, dry air for the Labor Day weekend. Some guidance is suggesting light showers Friday, and other guidance isn't. For now I'm going to stick with a low chance for a few stray showers on Friday; outdoor plans for folks getting a head start on the holiday weekend should not be significantly affected.
Cool high pressure again builds in behind the front with a return to a northwesterly flow. This will lead to cool and comfortable weather for the Labor Day weekend. There is a slight chance of a shower on Labor Day itself, but at this point I think rain showers stay to the south, and outdoor activities all weekend will be just fine.
In the long range, temperatures are expected to average near normal, and precipitation near normal for September 3 - September 9.
In the Tropics: Tropical Storm "Fernand" is located in the central Atlantic, about several hundred miles south of western Newfoundland. It is turning toward the northeast and headed into the North Atlantic. It is not a threat to Delmarva.
There are no other areas of interest in the Atlantic Basin at this time.
The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30.