Temperatures to surge to May-like levels in eastern US late this week
The warmest weather since October is predicted for some parts of the Midwest and Northeast with temperatures as much as 25 degrees above the historical average.
A jet stream shift will bring a dramatic East Coast warmup this week. Cities from Louisville to Washington, D.C., will jump from freezing early-week lows to springlike highs in the 60s and 70s by Friday.
Spring weather fans in parts of the Midwest and Northeast are in for another treat as a surge of warmth arrives later this week, with temperatures running 15-25 degrees above historical averages and climbing to their highest levels in some areas since October.
"The pattern from late this week into the weekend will give tens of millions of people in parts of the Midwest and Northeast a serious case of spring fever," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said.
Summerlike heat has already arrived far ahead of schedule in parts of the south-central United States. On Feb. 26, temperatures soared to 106 degrees Fahrenheit in southern Texas, setting a new U.S. high-temperature mark for the three months of December, January and February.
These are actual high temperatures (F) from Feb. 26, 2026. (AccuWeather)
Aside from a few stretches of springlike weather in the Southeast, noteworthy warmth north of Interstate 64 has been limited to only a handful of days since midautumn.
For example, Pittsburgh has not reached 70 degrees since Oct. 19, when the high was 75. From Thursday through Sunday, highs in the Steel City are forecast to range from 64 to 76 degrees — warmer than any day in December, January or February.
Farther south, Nashville has yet to hit 80 degrees this year, but is forecast to do so by Friday afternoon. Atlanta reached 80 on Feb. 20 for the first time since Nov. 22, and highs in the low to mid-80s are expected from Friday through Sunday. Records could be challenged or broken each day.
The warmth may last only a day or two in the Upper Midwest and may never fully take hold across the northern tier and some coastal areas of the Northeast. Highs are forecast to reach the upper 60s in Chicago on Friday and in Detroit on Saturday. In New York City, temperatures may not climb into the 60s until Sunday, which would mark the warmest day since early November.
Unlike the brief burst of warmth this past weekend, the upcoming warmup in parts of the Upper Midwest and Northeast may be accompanied by periods of rain or sporadic showers.
A surge of even warmer weather is forecast from Monday to Tuesday in the eastern third of the nation. The latest indications are that warmth will reach the northern tier and coastal areas of the Northeast. Once again year-to-date high temperatures will be pushed to new levels.
Farther south in the Central states, downpours and locally severe thunderstorms are likely. The Southeast appears to be the only region in line for a prolonged stretch of dry, warm weather.
The mainly rain-free, warm pattern — combined with building drought conditions — will further elevate the risk of wildfires and widespread smoke across Florida and parts of the Southeast.
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