AccuWeather meteorologists predicted that temperatures will rise well into the 60s, 70s, and even 80s Fahrenheit in some areas this week, which is a major change from last week's chilly weather.
Spring Warmth Across the United States
Some areas in Central and Eastern states are expected to see their hottest temperatures since the fall of last year as winter continues to cling to the northern tier of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, reestablishing its grasp in the West, as per AccuWeather.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg, a northward bulge in the jet stream and high pressure at the surface will develop concurrently from the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico later this week and into this weekend.
In locations like Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia, February was 2-3 degrees warmer than typical. Parts of the South Central states are already experiencing an increase in temperature. Throughout the region, temperatures climbed into the 60s on Monday and into the 70s on Tuesday.
It's been less than a week since the region was pummeled by ice and snow from northern Texas and Arkansas all the way to Ohio, according to Lundberg. During the onset of winter weather, temperatures dropped into the teens, 20s, and 30s.
Parts of Kansas and Missouri will attempt to break daily record high temperatures set in the early 1900s on Wednesday. Cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, and Wichita, Kansas, may expect temperatures in the 70s to around 80 degrees.
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Wintry Mix is Likely to Occur in Some Places
In the South Central states, a bubble of abnormally warm air from back on Feb. 22-23 may prevent them from experiencing their warmest day since last fall with this week's warm surge.
However, the high-temperature mark for the year so far and since last October or November is still a possibility for other parts of the Central and Eastern states this weekend, according to MSN.
There is a chance that temperatures could reach 60 degrees on Saturday, even as mild and cold air moves in and out of Chicago this week. A high of 50 degrees or more would mark the warmest day for Chicago since the 15th and 16th of December, when the high was 66 degrees.
By Sunday afternoon, temperatures in the lower 80s are expected to spread from Mississippi and Alabama to the Carolinas. At least 82 degrees is forecast for Sunday, which would break the 1974 record of 79 set in Atlanta. The last time the thermometer reached 85 degrees was on Oct. 15.
This weekend, cold air may linger across the northern tier of the Northeast, much like it has in parts of the Upper Midwest - and perhaps a wintry mix is likely to occur in some places. Temperatures are expected to rise above normal across the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians, and the mid-Atlantic.
Areas to Experience Thunderstorm
This weekend, temperatures could reach 70 degrees in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. In Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, record highs in the mid-70s may be out of reach, but Philadelphia's daily record high of 71 set Sunday could be challenged.
Forecasters in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland expect Sunday's highs to be in the 70s and 70s respectively. Temperatures in early March will be 20-30 degrees above usual at this elevation. The city's best chance to reach 70 degrees will come on Monday, just before a surge of more seasonable air arrives.
Cooler air may not reach the mid-Atlantic and the interior South until Monday or Tuesday, when the temperature will be reduced from west to east across much of the Central and Eastern states. It is possible that the southeastern part of the country could be a battleground for rain and thunderstorms next week.
Related Article: Eastern US to Experience Spring-like Warmth This Week
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