Intense but short-lived heat wave to broil Northeast
The mercury will spike to the highest level so far this year in some Northeast cities Thursday, challenging daily records that have stood since the 1920s.
Mother Nature is dialing up the thermostat once again across the Northeast on Thursday, and AccuWeather meteorologists say that the mercury could flirt with the 100-degree mark in some major cities.
Some locations will rival their highest temperatures of the year so far, with highs approaching many of the benchmarks that were set during a long-duration heat wave in late July. Even in places where the temperature doesn't reach triple digits, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature will easily soar above 100 thanks to high humidity and low dew points.
The quick burst of heat is coming after a relative return to normal summer weather for some of the most populated places along the I-95 corridor. Central Park in New York City notched a temperature of 90 F or higher for six consecutive days between July 19 and July 24. On the last two days of that stretch, the mercury soared to 95 degrees, about 10 degrees F above normal.
On the other side of the Hudson River, Newark, New Jersey, experienced sustained heat like it never had before. The temperature reached 100 degrees or higher on five straight days, from July 20-24, peaking at 102 degrees on July 24. Previously, the all-time record for the longest stretch of 100-degree days was four, which occurred on three occasions.
Farther south, Philadelphia experienced eight straight days on which the mercury rose above 90 degrees, with the temperature topping out at 99 degrees on July 24.
Temperatures in these three cities are not likely to peak quite as high as they did back in July, though AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are expected to easily eclipse 100 on Thursday. The strongest late-week heat wave will focus on New England and upstate New York, where new marks for the highest temperatures of the year are likely to be set, including Albany, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut.
The temperature in Albany has reached as high as 97 degrees on multiple occasions in July. Not only would the forecast high of 98 degrees on Thursday surpass that mark, it would also tie the daily record of 98 set in 1955.
Hartford is expected to soar to 99 degrees, a mark that would surpass the top high temp there this year -- 97 degrees on July 20 -- and easily best the daily record of 96 degrees set in 1944. The average high in Hartford at this time of year is 84 degrees.
Boston surged to 100 degrees on July 24, and that will be tough to beat Thursday. However, the forecast high of 98 would rewrite the record books. The current record for Aug. 4 is 96 degrees set in 1928.
Heat advisories were in place from Virginia to Maine on Thursday, including big cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, and Providence, Rhode Island, as well as places farther inland, like Burlington, Vermont, and Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Even in places where records are not tied or broken or the thermometer does not get to the triple digits, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature will exceed 100 F in many locations outside of the mountains and away from the immediate coast.
Folks across the region are urged to drink plenty of water and to limit time outdoors, especially during the afternoon hours when the heat is at its peak.
Though this will be a much shorter duration heat event than the one in July, it may last more than one day in some places.
"In many of the big cities along the coast and in states such as Maryland and Virginia, temperatures are likely to surge into the 90s once again on Friday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Andrew Johnson-Levine.
Even if temperatures are slightly lower than Thursday, the combination of heat and humidity will still make for a very uncomfortable day, particularly for those who are working or exercising outdoors and for indoor places that lack air conditioning.
"The dew point temperature, a measure of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, may reach up to 70 degrees in some spots," explained Johnson-Levine. When the dew point is high, it makes it harder for the body to cool itself, as the moisture content of the air limits the ability for sweat to evaporate.
Farther inland, while it will also be humid, temperatures will be several degrees lower on Friday compared to Thursday.
"Increased cloud cover and rainfall will bring temperatures back to more typical levels over inland locations to end the week," said Johnson-Levine.
With much of August left to go, Lead Accuweather Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok is concerned about more heat later in the month, although it is not a given.
"It is possible there is another surge in heat come late August in the Northeast, but that will depend on the behavior of the jet stream and an anticipated upturn in tropical activity," explained Pastelok.
Pastelok also expects the summerlike warmth to continue into the start of autumn across much of the United States.
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