Weekend Forecast: NYC to Cool Off, Sidestep Nor'easter

Sick of swimming in your own sweat day in, day out? Then this weekend is for you, New York City.

The National Weather Service predicts that — after nearly three straight weeks of NYC highs over 85 — this Friday, Saturday and Sunday will top out at 82 degrees.

And because the extreme humidity of early summer has for the most part eased off in August, this weekend’s highs will only feel a few degrees hotter than they really are.

“Friday is shaping up to be ideal for outdoor activities, similar to Thursday, as high pressure promotes low humidity and seasonable temperatures,” says AccuWeather meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. ”A high near 84 F is more common this time of year.”

There is a (very slight) chance that NYC will get sprayed by the outer edge ofa major storm rolling across the East Coast on Friday and Saturday, but we’ll likely just see a few impotent clouds roll through before the weather clears up on Sunday.

“The storm system should remain far enough to the south to keep rain away from New York City,” Pydynowski says. ”Instead, the rain will graze southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey into Friday. Showers may then sideswipe eastern Long Island on Saturday.”

According to Bloomberg News, these cooler temps come courtesy of a summer vortex up at the Canadian border.

“It is going to be cool there,” said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. “There’s a big vortex over the eastern Ontario-Quebec border, similar to the patterns we had during the cold season.”

Yes, he used the v-word. That wonderful dip in weather patterns that drives cold air down from the Arctic like a conveyor belt. The same vortex that is the favorite of forecasters everywhere in the winter to explain why the air seems to freeze and snow falls by the foot.

Here’s your full weekend forecast, via the National Weather Service.

Thursday afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. West wind 7 to 9 mph.

Thursday night: Cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Friday: A slight chance of light rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday night: A slight chance of light rain before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Northeast wind around 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A slight chance of light rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday night: A slight chance of light rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71.

Image courtesy of Accuweather.