The backdoor cold front which was forecast to impact the area certainly arrived with a bit less enthusiasm than the forecast guidance had been showing, and as a result it appears that we should be able to salvage this Thursday evening. Temperatures today were able to climb into the low to mid 80's, and it felt warm with dew points a slight bit higher than the past few days. The sun was shining at least through around 2:00pm throughout most of the area, and the beaches even were able to maintain a westerly wind component until then, keeping the surface temperatures warm and keeping the seabreeze at bay. Still, high clouds rolled in during the middle of the afternoon generally capping off the warming which would have otherwise continued into the middle and upper 80's. A sea breeze developed near the shore, touching off some scattered clouds and cooled down temperatures significantly, but most areas away from the immediate shore have been able to maintain warm and pleasant conditions.

Through Tonight: Forecast models have backed off on the presence of clouds and potential showers, with the showers now forecast to impact mostly Central Pennsylvania, well to our west. There could still be a few clouds around, but overall the evening should end up rather pleasant. If you're near the shore, though, bring a long sleeved shirt as the cool winds off the water will make it feel a bit more chilly there, especially overnight. Inland, temperatures will once again drop into the 50's without the presence of clouds to hold the daytime heat at the surface. Clear skies means good radiating, and temperatures will drop in the north and west suburbs.

ISS to gleam bright in the night sky: The International Space Station will once again pass over our area, this time with a much brighter gleam. The space station will pass over at 8:22pm, with a magnitude of -4.0, or "super bright" as defined by NASA. Look to the west-northwest around 8:20pm ass the ISS rises, and watch it pass overhead. The space station will look similar to a very bright planet--in fact, it will be the brightest object in the sky since the moon doesn't appear until later.

Katia Update: Katia has weakened to a Tropical Storm once again this evening, dropping from hurricane strength earlier today. She continues to churn in the waters of the Eastern Atlantic today. Katia now has sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, making her a strong Tropical Storm just a touch below Hurricane strength. Katia is struggling a bit with dry air and shear, but strengthening is forecast over the next several days. Most forecast guidance strengthens her into a Major Hurricane by early next week. Wondering about her potential impacts on our area? Historically, storms that form in Katia's position and move on her heading have a less than 20 percent chance of making landfall on United States soil. We will certainly keep an eye on her, though!


Article written September 1st, 2011 at 7:08pm. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the end of the week into the weekend, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.