Ah, fall. The season brings a beautiful array of colorfully-changing leaves, frosty nights, our first snows and….95-degree weather?! To folks in the eastern United States, get ready for a very warm start to October!
Hundreds of temperature records are expected to be tied and/or broken in the eastern U.S. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly again Thursday. The next best shot at cooling down for the Southeast won’t be until Thursday/Friday.
High temperatures in the hottest locations in the Southeast U.S. will reach to 90-95° during this time. Those temperatures will be 10-15° above average. In the Northeast U.S., high temperatures will reach to 85-90°, mainly to the south/west of the Pennsylvania border. Still, those temperatures will be a solid 10-20° above average. Just one example shows the extent of the heat. Atlanta is on a streak of days of potential record highs!
What’s the near-term cause of this record heat? It will be an anomalously-strong area of high pressure that will build from Texas to the Carolinas between Sunday, September 29 and Friday, October 4. This high pressure will keep the region mainly dry and thus, really warm.
*However* on the other side, a very deep area of low pressure will entrench itself across the West. Montana and Idaho will be as cold as 30 degrees below average this weekend! Heavy and possibly historic snowfall is forecast in parts of Montana through the weekend.
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In terms of impacts, you’ll want to always double check that back seat of your vehicle. Unfortunately there was another child hot car death last weekend near San Antonio, Texas. Continue to stay hydrated in the heat, especially during outdoor sporting events seasonal activities. Meanwhile in the West, the unusual heavy snow and bitter cold will bring down trees and cause power outages, as well as endangering livestock and crops.