Record-breaking springlike warmth set to build in the Southeast
A big warmup in the Southeast will send temperatures 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average and challenge many daily records.
Many in the United States are set to receive a blast of cold air, ice and heavy snow this week as a strong storm system races across the country. However, in the Southeast and much of the mid-Atlantic, a very different scene is likely to unfold.
Instead of cold and snow, millions are likely to experience record-shattering warmth, according to AccuWeather forecasters. In what has already been a mild winter for some, many locations will soon have weather that is more typical of May or June than February.
Both of these weather events will largely be fueled by a broad area of high pressure, anchored hundreds of miles off the Atlantic coast near Bermuda. While this will lead to calm, tranquil weather offshore, the winds along the outer edges will help drive the threat of thunderstorms and the warmup peaking soon after.
"Since winds flow clockwise around areas of high pressure, this ridge off the coast will keep winds pointed out of the south for much of the Southeast, allowing warm air to spill northward for a lengthy period of time," AccuWeather meteorologist Elizabeth Danco explained.
This warmer weather will first be felt in the Gulf Coast states. After having high temperatures near average in the 50s and 60s on Sunday, locations from eastern Texas to Georgia saw the mercury surge by over 10 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday.
In New Orleans, after temperatures were unable to get out of the 50s on Friday and Saturday, a high of 80 F was recorded on Monday. For context, the historical average high temperature for the date in the Big Easy is 68 degrees.
This snapshot of temperatures (F) was taken at mid-afternoon on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023.
Nearby to the north, a similar warmup took shape, with Memphis and Atlanta climbing into the 70s on Monday.
By Tuesday, temperatures near or in the 70s will surge even farther north, reaching cities such as Richmond, Virginia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. While the passage of a major storm to the north may lead to a somewhat cooler day for some on Wednesday, the warmth will finally peak toward the end of the week.
In the Carolinas, temperatures on Thursday are set to feel more like early summer than winter. Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, are both set to surge well into the 80s during the afternoon, which would easily break the daily record highs in both cities.
Currently, Raleigh's forecast high for Thursday is 86 degrees, while nearby Charlotte is expected to max out at 85 F. Should this occur, both cities would set new high temperature records for the entire month of February.
Temperatures in the 80s will also extend well southward, into the Gulf Coast states and down the Florida Peninsula. Inland areas such as Orlando will likely get even warmer, with a high of 91 F currently forecast. Metro areas closer to the coast, such as Miami and Jacksonville, may also see a few warmer spots hit 90, even though most spots should stay in the mid to upper 80s.
In the mid-Atlantic, temperatures are set to rise late this week as well. Much of Virginia's Interstate 95 corridor is likely to reach the 80-degree mark, with Washington, D.C., getting to around that temperature as well.
Pennsylvania is likely to have a sharp contrast from north to south across the state. While the northernmost locations may struggle to get out of the 40s, southern portions of the state, including much of the Philadelphia metro area, will climb into the 70s.
As is often the case in the second half of winter, these major temperature swings are set to continue for much of the country. As a result, the weekend and next week may bring a quick return to more typical February weather across the East.
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