DELMARVA -- A soggy and gray weekend beginning Saturday, as a stationary frontal boundary settles across the southern portion of the peninsula. The stalled front will help trigger multiple rounds of rain and scattered thunderstorms over the weekend, with cooler-than-average temperatures expected to stick around through early next week.
Saturday may begin with a few isolated morning showers. By midday, a brief break in the rainfall is possible. However, another round of showers and scattered thunderstorms is forecast to develop by Saturday afternoon and evening as a primary area of low pressure moves through the region. Precipitable water values (PWATs) between 1.7 and 2.0 inches suggest the potential for locally heavy rainfall. While some minor flooding is possible in low-lying areas, the threat of flash flooding is minimal.
Daytime highs on Saturday will range from the upper 70s to low 80s across Delmarva, under mostly cloudy skies. Overnight temperatures will fall into the low to mid 60s.
The unsettled weather will continue through Monday, with persistent cloud cover, light showers, drizzle, and generally dreary conditions. Temperatures Sunday and Monday will struggle to climb beyond the mid-60s to near 70 degrees. Depending on the position of the front and the influence of onshore winds, some locations could remain even cooler.
The short-term pattern remains low in predictability, especially regarding the timing and intensity of precipitation. A weak surface high over New England may nudge slightly southward late Saturday into Sunday, possibly bringing temporary drier conditions, though chances for showers increase again Sunday night into Monday with the arrival of an upper-level shortwave trough.
Looking ahead to the long term, a gradual shift begins Tuesday as the weekend’s stalled front finally moves offshore. A weak disturbance could trigger isolated showers late Tuesday, though confidence remains low. Southeast flow will help temperatures rebound slightly into the mid-70s to low 80s.
By Wednesday, a building Bermuda High will reintroduce southwest flow and bring a noticeable warmup. High temperatures are expected to climb into the 80s across the region, and Thursday could bring highs in the low 90s in some areas. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are possible late Thursday as another cold front approaches. By Friday, conditions are expected to turn drier and more seasonably warm.