The 100-110 degree temperatures that have been locked up over Texas the last several days have finally been given the green light to spread east and bring hot temperatures across much of the Southeast today. Not 100-110 but 90s will be widespread and common from the lower Mississippi Valley across much of the Southeast US today. The Carolinas, Georgia and Florida will have their first day into the 90s today, the first of several days in a row. The deepening southwesterly to westerly flow aloft over the southern US is responsible for the heatwave jailbreaking Texas and now spreading. How far will it get?
In the Tennessee Valley it hits first today, then peaks Thursday, Friday and Saturday with widespread 90s. In the Ohio Valley it will take a day longer with the 90s arriving Friday and Saturday. In both regions, Sunday will be the day of transition from the heat to closer to normal temperatures.
In the Northeast, you have the longest period in the “natural air conditioning” with today and tomorrow bring like, “heat wave? what heat wave? where???”. But on Friday the temperatures will jump into the 80s with some locations pushing 90. By Saturday, unless you are along a lake shore, particularly in the Great Lakes, or in the higher elevations of the mountains, you are pretty much guaranteed to break 90. Sunday, will be the day of transition here.
Bottom line: Depending on where you are east of the Mississippi, the heat will get you at some point. For some the heat will get you more quickly and for longer. For others, it will only be a 1-2 day affair. But this is an equal opportunity heat wave. Everybody will get in on it. So if you are in a part of the nation that you don’t use the A/C often, or haven’t yet this season, NOW is the time to make sure it works… or call your local HVAC technician to come over and get it to work. You’ll thank me in advance!
Next week will be a reset as temperatures, at least temporarily, go back closer to where they should be for May… instead of the near record heat many of us will deal with in the coming days. I’ll keep you posted!