Hurricane Earl will pass just east the mid-Atlantic coast Friday then hit Cape Cod and the nearby islands pretty violently Friday night. Saturday the storm will spread its fury into Atlantic Canada.

Once Earl is out of the way something nice is going to happen. The heat wave that has plagued the Northeast all week is going to be smashed to smithereens by a cold front that means business. The cooler air will become well established across the Midwest Friday and will completely erase any traces of heat in the Northeast this weekend. Instead of upper 80s and 90s, the entire Northeast will finally get to enjoy some refreshing breezes with highs in the 60s and 70s. Furthermore, high elevations of the Appalachians from West Virginia northward will have one day in the 50s.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.