Dramatic Temperature Swings in Store for the Eastern U.S.

Posted: October 26, 2023 2:50 pm

A big change is on the way for the Northeast with the mercury forecast to plummet in the coming days. This surge of cold air will come on the heels of the record-breaking warmth that residents have been enjoying this week in this corner of the country. How cold will it get and when can you expect this change to arrive? Read on for all of the details.

Pleasant Weather Coming to a Screeching Halt in Northeast

The Northeast has been basking under mostly dry conditions and unseasonable warmth this week. However, that is all about to change as the new week approaches. A ridge of cold air is already building across the northern Rockies and the Plains states, set to crawl to the east this weekend and bring the mercury down along the way.

The warmth will hold on for a bit longer in the Northeast heading into the weekend. Record-breaking high temperatures are a possibility on Thursday through Saturday in cities such as Queens, New York and Philadelphia. You have to go back to 1984 to find the last time that Philadelphia saw a reading in the 80s during the last week of October. The city is forecast to hit this benchmark on both Friday and Saturday.

While conditions will be mostly dry, you cannot rule out some isolated pockets of rain throughout the weekend. Unlike the past several weekends, the Northeast is not expecting to see widespread rain.

The most likely areas to see moisture by the end of the week include upstate New York, western Pennsylvania, the Ohio Valley, and the northern tier of New England. This moisture will eventually move into the mid-Atlantic and southern portions of New England by Sunday and into Monday.

The coastal areas of the Eastern Seaboard should remain mostly dry this weekend with the bulk of this rain activity predicted to remain to the west. This will be a good time to get out and take a walk on the beach before the cold winter arrives.

The end of the weekend will bring a significant change in the weather as a storm system approaches from the west. While this weather maker is anticipated to lose some of its punch as it moves across the Plains and to the east, the mass of cold air following behind the storm will certainly make an impact in the Northeast.

Sub-Freezing Temperatures Around the Corner for New England, Great Lakes, and More

You can expect temperatures to hover slightly above average to start the week before the big change makes its presence known. The mass of cold air will trigger the chance of a frost or a freeze for some parts of the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and New England by Monday night. Overnight lows will drop into the 20s and 30s in this part of the U.S., setting up a chilly Halloween holiday on Tuesday.

Daytime highs will top out in the 40s throughout most of the interior Northeast on Tuesday. It will be slightly warmer heading to the coast with temperatures expected to hover in the 50s during the peak afternoon heating hours.

The western Great Lakes and the Midwest will see these dropping temperatures first with lows falling a few degrees below the freezing mark in Chicago, Detroit, and St Louis on Sunday. These bone-chilling overnight lows are expected to linger until late next week in the nation’s heartland, translating to the coldest temperatures thus far this season.

While the mercury is not expected to drop to the freezing mark farther east in places such as Philadelphia and New York City, the roller coaster of temperatures will continue to leave residents guessing. This will be a week when you will want to check the local forecast each day when deciding what to wear for the day as temperatures are going to fluctuate greatly.

Keep in mind that this yo-yo pattern of temperatures is typical for this time of the year when the seasons transition. For instance, it is not unusual for most areas of the Northeast to be under the gun for an overnight frost or a freeze by the end of October while days remain warm and pleasant.

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