Record Warmth Stretches From Eastern Plains To Great Lakes

Record and near-record warmth will spread across much of the eastern half of the country through midweek, with many daily records poised to fall in parts of the eastern Plains, Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley.

Large Bermuda high pressure will be anchored just off the Eastern Seaboard through the homestretch of the work week. A southerly to southwesterly breeze and abundant sunshine will boost afternoon highs to summer-like temperatures.

Trading in a winter jacket or heavy sweatshirt for tee-shirts and shorts, both morning lows and afternoon highs will peak 20 to 30 degrees above normal from the central Plains and Middle Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes, New York State, and New England over the next few days.

Peak temperatures in the 80s will stretch from Texas to Wisconsin and Indiana this afternoon, with some 90s even showing up in southern Texas.

Even behind the front on Friday, highs will remain 5 to 15 degrees above normal across the Eastern Seaboard.

Many record highs in the upper 70s and 80s will likely be set today around Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Little Rock, Ark. New record highs with similar peak temperatures could occur across the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, and southern Texas on Wednesday, then widespread 70s and lower 80s will be enough to set record highs in the northeastern U.S. on Halloween.

October has been largely warm and dry across the nation. Afternoon highs have been a few to several degrees above normal across most locations east of the Mississippi River. Larger pockets of unseasonable afternoon warmth exist across the eastern Plains and Mississippi Valley. Here, highs have been up to 10 degrees above normal for the month.