Northeast's temperatures to crash 25-50 degrees ahead of Memorial Day weekend
While the Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the summer season, the extreme conditions experienced early this week may go missing in the weeks ahead in the Northeast.
After dealing with summerlike temperatures for the beginning of the week, cooler weather will follow for the Northeast heading into Memorial Day weekend with parts of the mid-Atlantic getting rain.
"The seemingly endless temperature roller coaster this spring will continue through the holiday weekend with another sharp cooldown across the northeastern quarter of the nation," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The most extreme and longest-lasting heat of the year so far for the Northeast will be swept away as less humid air from Canada and the Midwest moves in during the second half of this week.
Hot and humid conditions, along with elevated energy demand, were confined to the Atlantic Coast Wednesday. At the same time, much cooler air was sweeping into the Appalachians.
For some, the change may be refreshing and welcome. For others, it will be yet another frustrating swing during an unusually chaotic spring for temperatures.
"Not only may cool-weather-sensitive individuals be reaching for jackets, but even some hardy cool-weather fans may feel the need for long sleeves," Anderson said. "The sudden chilly conditions can take a toll on some people, especially those with arthritis or muscle issues."
Pools that opened early, ahead of Memorial Day, may sit unused as cooler air settles in.
"This persistent pattern of major temperature swings has clearly wreaked havoc on plants and agriculture across the Northeast, as the region has gone from record-breaking heat to hard freezes, then back to leaf-withering heat and now another chilly stretch," Anderson said.
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Temperatures will trend downward substantially into the weekend.
For example, after reaching 90°F on Monday in State College, Pennsylvania, highs will be limited to the 60s Thursday and Friday, and could hover near 50 Saturday, depending on how rainy it becomes.
Unlike recent weeks, most farmers should not have to worry about frosts and freezes this time around. The main exceptions will be parts of northern New York and northern New England, where temperatures early Friday morning will be cold enough for a frost or freeze to occur in some areas.
The average last frost date is still a few weeks away. Nighttime lows elsewhere in the region are forecast to bottom out from the upper 30s to the upper 50s.
Along the Atlantic Coast, the cooldown will be less dramatic. However, residents will still notice a major change by Thursday and Friday as AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures fall from the 90s and 100s earlier in the week into the 60s and 70s.
In addition to the cooler air, rain is forecast to spread over the region late this week and into part of the Memorial Day weekend. The rain may ease local drought conditions, but it is coming at a time when many are focused on outdoor activities.
People with outdoor plans may want an indoor backup option this weekend, as periods of rain and drizzle combined with chilly air will create less-than-ideal conditions for outdoor activities.
Will another major warmup arrive soon?
While temperatures will recover from this weekend's dip, there may be a lack of big, sustained heat in the Northeast for weeks to come.
"Not only may it struggle to get hot again for multiple days over the next month, but it is possible that some places may have experienced their hottest weather of the entire year with the most recent heat wave," AccuWeather Senior Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said. "For example, it got to 98°F in Philadelphia on Monday. How often does that happen in a typical summer?"
Monday’s high of 98 degrees Fahrenheit is near the upper limit of what Philadelphia experiences during a typical summer. Over the past five years, the city failed to exceed 98 in 2024, 2023 and 2021, while highs reached 101 last summer and 99 in 2022. That could make Lundberg’s outlook realistic for some parts of the mid-Atlantic.
One factor that may have contributed to the intensity of this recent heat wave is drought. Dry soil and limited ground moisture allow temperatures to rise more efficiently, as less energy is required for evaporation. During widespread drought, daytime temperatures can climb more rapidly.
Should drought persist over a broad area, it could help raise temperatures back to levels experienced early this week under similar weather conditions.
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