Off and On Showers To Start, Storms to Finish

A warm front will be lifting through the region later on this morning and will put an end to the east wind and cooler temperatures that plagued many an outdoor activity and forecast yesterday.   A band of showers extends from State College down through Baltimore and more or less "marks" the approximate spot of the warm front this morning.  It will lift east and northeast through the morning hours, crossing the region after 8 AM with another period of showers.   There are other scattered areas of rain early this morning around the region, with all of the precip moving east and northeast as well.

The aforementioned warm front will lift through, eventually bringing some sunshine to the southern two-thirds of the entire region (generally Philly burbs and south) and eradicating the marine layer of low clouds that introduced itself yesterday with the east winds off the Atlantic.   The sunshine breaks should take place towards midday...and are critical in how strong any afternoon storms get as a weak disturbance tracks east behind the warm front.   This disturbance is currently in Ohio, with thunderstorms associated with it, and will work into our region after 5 PM this afternoon if current radar trends hold.

A good chunk of the region is under a slight risk for severe weather this afternoon -- but the chance of any severe thunderstorms that we see is entirely dependent on sunshine that pops out later on across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, along with points south.   If the sun can break out for a good three or four hours around midday, that should be enough to help agitate the atmosphere to help keep these storms to severe levels.   Gusty winds and small hail would be the biggest threats this afternoon and early evening hours.  

Temperatures this afternoon will nudge into the 70's for many except the coastal sections and perhaps parts of the Lehigh Valley this afternoon.   How high the nudge is depends on sun, of course, but we should get a few hours and enough to bump temperatures into the mid and upper 70's around Philadelphia before the dinner time(ish) round of thunderstorms.

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