Summer who? Reality check underway for central, eastern US
A dramatic change will send temperatures plummeting and bring unsettled weather back to the northeastern U.S. early this week.
AccuWeather forecasters say a temperature crash is set to spread eastward on Tuesday as an early-spring chill returns, obliterating days of summerlike conditions. Many from the Midwest to the Northeast were likely left wondering what month it truly was after Mother Nature cranked up the thermostat for multiple days last week.
Dozens of daily high-temperature records were broken, or even shattered, from Minneapolis to Boston between Thursday and Friday last week.
The mercury in New York City soared to 90 F on Thursday and 91 F Friday, which set new high-temperature records for each day. In fact, the last time the Big Apple hit 90 F or more on consecutive days in April was more than two decades ago, from April 16-18, 2002.
Some of the worst of the heat was seen in Hartford, Connecticut, where the mercury surged to an astonishing 96 F on Friday. Not only is this over 35 degrees above average for the date, but such hot conditions would even be at least 10 degrees above average during the hottest days in June and July.
While the warmup to end the week was impressive, it was also brief.
For parts of the Northeast close to the Atlantic coast, a significant change to cooler conditions was already underway early in the weekend due to a shift in the overall wind direction. As air flowed inland from the Atlantic, high temperatures on Saturday along the Atlantic coast ended up over 20 degrees lower than Friday's warm conditions. Boston saw an extreme example of this, dropping from 83 F to 57 F between the two days.
Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
The major cooldown for much of the Midwest and the interior Northeast will arrive in the wake of a potent cold front set to track across the eastern United States through the first few days of this week.
In the 24 hours spanning Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, the most dramatic change to cooler weather occurred from the Midwest to portions of the Gulf Coast. As the front progresses east on Monday, the core of the notable cooldown will shift farther east as well.
By Monday afternoon, high temperatures were over 20 degrees F lower than those reached on Sunday for places like Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. In Detroit, Sunday's high temperature of 72 degrees fell to a high of just 45 degrees on Monday. Cleveland's high dropped over 30 degrees, from 79 degrees on Sunday to 47 degrees on Monday.
The cooling trend will continue to push eastward on Tuesday and AccuWeather forecasters say Tuesday will be the chilliest day of the week for much of the Northeast.
After hitting a record high of 92 F on Thursday, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, will only reach the mid-50s on Tuesday. In a matter of days, outdoor activities will have gone from needing short sleeves and shorts to be comfortable to a jacket coming in handy. The change will also be extreme in Buffalo, New York. After a toasty high temperature of 86 degrees on Sunday, the mercury will struggle to reach 40 degrees on Tuesday, according to the latest forecast.
Meanwhile, cooler conditions are also expected for the major East Coast cities. Washington, D.C. climbed into the upper 80s last week, but should remain in the 60s on Tuesday. New York and Boston will be noticeably cooler still, with highs range from the upper 40s to mid 50s in that urban corridor.
This sudden surge of cold air has already been responsible for a quick flip to wintry weather in the Midwest. Cities such as Madison, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis saw accumulating snow despite recent warm weather, while parts of western and northern Wisconsin experienced a major snowstorm. Totals in excess of 20 inches were even reported near La Crosse, Wisconsin, with the snow's heavy and wet nature leading to tree damage in the region.
Farther south, across portions of Illinois and southern Michigan, occasional snow showers were not bringing much in the way of accumulation, but were still a major shift from the recent warm weather.
The return of cooler air and snowy weather will likely aid in a brief slowing of river flooding concerns along the northern tier of the U.S.
"While snow is not necessarily the most welcome sight this time of the year, having the bulk of the precipitation locked up as snow may not immediately contribute to increased flooding concerns," Benz explained. However, as a new storm system threatens to bring heavy rain to parts of the Midwest, the flood threat may not be on hold for long, forecasters warn.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
