Warmer Weather on the Move Through the Midwest and Northeast

Posted: May 5, 2023 1:29 pm

Warmer weather is back in the forecast for the weekend for the eastern third of the U.S. It has been an unseasonably cool start to the month of May for the majority of the Midwest and the Northeast.

However, that is all changing in the coming days as winter takes its last gasp. Here is what you can expect to see this weekend and into next week for this third of the nation.

Cold Temperatures on Their Way Out

April did not go out like a lamb for the Northeast and the Midwest. Cold temperatures and even snow across the Upper Midwest and the Appalachians distinguished the flipping of the calendar from April to May.

The winter like conditions last week came at the hands of a jet stream setup known in weather circles as an Omega block. This pattern is now breaking down, bringing in weather more typical of the first weekend of May.

The warmup is already in full force in the Midwest with the Northeast expected to follow suit this weekend. For instance, Chicago will enjoy temperatures in the 70s for the weekend with Philadelphia right on its heels with these readings.

The temperatures in the 70s will be even more pleasant after much of the region experienced readings that were more typical of March over the last few days. For instance, the mercury hovered in the mid 40s on Tuesday for a high in Pittsburgh.

The temperature finally hit the 50-degree mark on Thursday. By the weekend, the Steel City will see temperatures land in the low 70s. For comparison, the historical average for this time of May in this part of Pennsylvania is the upper 60s.

Pittsburgh is not the only city that has been experiencing temperatures well below normal for this time of the year. Cleveland and Cincinnati have also averaged over 10 degrees below average for the month.

The warmup will not only bring the readings back to normal, but the temperature may actually exceed the historical average in some places.

Forecasters are calling for the temperature to potentially cross over the 80-degree threshold in Cincinnati on Monday. This would be about 8 degrees above normal for this date in history.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Forecast

The 80-degree readings are also on tap for areas farther east and south. Washington, D.C. is forecast to hit this benchmark on Sunday and Monday. The nation’s capital already saw several days in this range earlier in April, far ahead of when the city normally reaches the 80-degree mark.

You will find these 80-degree temperatures throughout the mid-Atlantic, including cities in Virginia such as Richmond and Williamsburg. Temperatures will remain in the low 80s in this region on Sunday and Monday despite the chance of rain and thunderstorms.

It will be more seasonable heading to the north in places such as Boston and New York City. Boston will enjoy weather in the low 70s on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before the next cooldown arrives.

Down in the Big Apple, you can count on temperatures in the 70s and dry conditions through Monday. The average high this time of the year in New York City is 69 degrees.

Scattered clouds throughout the Midwest and the Northeast may limit the real feel readings even though warmer air is moving into the region.

In addition, weather experts predict that the high amount of moisture present in the ground will also make it more difficult for the temperature to climb. This is because the energy coming from the sun will work on evaporating this moisture before heating up the air in the atmosphere.

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