Cold Snap Grips the Northeast While the Southeast Braces for Wildfire Risk

The southeastern U.S. will experience a warming trend in the next few days while the temperatures cool in the Northeast. Here is a look at what you should expect as the warmth and the chill continue to swap places on the East Coast.

Temperature Whiplash Becoming the Norm on the East Coast

Residents of the Northeast woke up to an exceptionally chilly morning by April standards on Wednesday. Looking at a few notable readings, it was only 11 degrees early Wednesday in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Moving to the east, Saranac Lake, New York, notched a low of 3 degrees below zero. The major metro areas of the Northeast, Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, all saw the mercury dive below the freezing mark before the sun came up.

While Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning will likely be the chilliest time for the Northeast, the southeastern corner of the U.S. will see the coldest readings on Wednesday or Thursday night. However, the Southeast will begin to see the mercury climb in the days ahead, as opposed to a cooling trend taking over the Northeast through the end of the week.

Temperatures will hover below seasonal levels through at least Thursday for the Northeast. For instance, New York City will struggle to break the 50-degree barrier on Wednesday for a high before barely reaching the low 50s on Thursday.

The reach of the cold Canadian air will be less dramatic to the south. Charlotte will experience highs that land just below the norm for early April through Thursday. Heading even farther south, Atlanta will bounce around near the norm.