DELMARVA -- High pressure will continue to build into the Delmarva region this afternoon, setting the stage for a stretch of calmer, cooler weather. Skies will range from mostly sunny to clear, with highs topping out between 64 and 70 degrees. Gusty northwest winds, reaching up to 30 mph, will usher in drier, cooler air across the area.
As the vertically stacked low over the Gulf of Maine pulls away, the upper-level ridge will shift eastward. High pressure centered over the Great Lakes will drift southward, bringing a quiet weather pattern through Tuesday.
Clear skies are expected Sunday night, with overnight lows dipping into the 40s. Monday will bring continued sunshine and lighter northwest winds around 10 to 15 mph, allowing highs to warm into the low to mid-70s.
By Monday night, the surface flow will shift more southerly as high pressure moves offshore. Skies will stay mostly clear, but nighttime temperatures will be a bit milder, ranging from the mid-40s to low 50s. Tuesday will feature increasing clouds ahead of an approaching warm front, but most of the area should remain dry. High temperatures will climb into the mid-70s to low 80s inland, with coastal areas staying cooler in the 60s. Overall, a benign period of above-normal temperatures is expected.
Changes arrive Tuesday night as a weak warm front lifts northward. Some showers and embedded thunder are possible overnight. On Wednesday, a cold front will quickly cross the area, although moisture will be limited, keeping the chance for showers low. In the wake of the front, a west-northwest breeze will kick up with gusts of 20 to 25 mph, and highs will again reach the 70s and 80s inland, cooler near the coast.
Thursday brings brief high pressure once again, providing a dry and mild day. However, another system will approach late Thursday into Friday, increasing the chances for showers and possibly a few thunderstorms. Highs Thursday will be in the 60s to 70s, warming into the 70s to near 80 degrees on Friday before cooler air returns Saturday behind another cold front.