Unseasonably Hot Temperatures in Store for the North with Opposite Situation for the South

Posted: June 21, 2023 9:30 am

Forecasters are predicting that an atmospheric traffic jam will create a variety of different weather conditions along the East Coast this week. This includes the return of smoke and haze from the Canadian wildfires. Here is the latest on this mixed bag of weather predictions in the coming week.

Temperatures Forecast to Soar in New England

Some areas of the Northeast will see the temperature start to increase by the end of the week while the Southeast continues to see unseasonably cool conditions. The usual west to east traffic pattern of weather systems will continue to stall, trapping some of the smoke from the wildfires burning to the north.

In addition, a storm system over the Southeast will stall out and bring heavy rain and strong winds to the region just as tropical moisture begins to filter up from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This will be in direct contrast to the dry and warm conditions expected in an area stretching from the Midwest and into the St. Lawrence Valley in the Northeast.

You can expect temperatures to soar up to 20 degrees above the historical average for the third week of June across portions of the Upper Midwest and into the northern reaches of New England.

For example, cities such as Bangor, Maine will see readings hit the 90s on Thursday and Friday. Records may fall as the mercury continues to this upward trajectory to end the work week.

Opposite Effect in the South with Cooler Temperatures on Tap

In an unusual twist, the temperatures in the northern part of the country will trend higher than areas to the south. In fact, some of the areas in the mid-Atlantic will record temperatures that are about 10 – 15 degrees below normal for this part of the summer.

The cooler than normal temperatures in the southern U.S. and the mid-Atlantic will be attributed to a slight breeze coming off of the Atlantic Ocean. This cooling breeze is forecast to stretch as far inland as the central Appalachians, bringing the air temperature down in the process.

How cool will it get? New York City will struggle to climb out of the 70s through Friday. In addition to the cooler weather, the area will also see an increase in cloud cover along with higher humidity levels as the week goes on.

Rain will be the story in the mid-Atlantic with the chance of showers hanging on through the week. The rain may be significant enough to cause minor coastal flooding during times of high tide in an area stretching from the Carolinas up into the Delmarva Peninsula.

Combined with the risk of minor beach erosion, it will not be a good week to head out to the coast in the mid-Atlantic. Farther to the south, the beaches will see a good chance of dangerous surf conditions as the storms build.

Air Quality Levels in U.S. Expected to Worsen

The northern U.S. will not be the only area of North America experiencing abnormal warmth this week. This heat will also expand into Canada, potentially complicating the efforts to bring the raging wildfires under control.

While cooler temperatures and a surge of moisture helped crews to get a leg up on the fire control, the return of the heat and the dry conditions may spell trouble. Local officials are also worried that more fires will ignite because of the unusually warm weather.

The northern tier of the U.S. could be in for another week of poor air quality conditions as smoke in the higher levels of the atmosphere continues to move to the south. The flow of air in this part of the atmosphere has stalled out, creating the smoky and hazy conditions even if the smoke is not able to reach ground level.

With little wind in place across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes, this polluted air will remain entrenched. The poor air quality may extend as far east as the central Appalachians and interior portions of New England.

This potentially hazardous air is forecast to linger into the weekend. Be sure to stay on top of the air quality levels in your community, particularly if you or a loved one is vulnerable to these pollutants.

Looking ahead, the topsy-turvy weather pattern is expected to right itself by the weekend. This will translate to a return of warmer air in the South and cooler conditions heading back to the Northeast.

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