Early-Season Heat Wave to Scorch the East Coast This Week

An early-season heat wave is setting its sights on the East Coast, threatening to send temperatures to levels most commonly seen in July and August. The heat will pair with a lack of moisture to expand the drought conditions in this part of the country. Here is what you need to know about how hot it will get this week.

Early-Season Heat Wave Builds Across the East Coast

The record cold temperatures that impacted some areas of the eastern U.S. last week will give way to unseasonable heat, continuing the weather whiplash that has marked much of the spring season. In addition to the forecast of heat this week, forecasters are also warning that the drought will deepen across the mid-Atlantic to the Southeast.

The mercury will climb into the 80s and 90s across a large swath of the eastern U.S. during the early part of the week. It will feel even warmer due to the rising humidity levels.

The heat will be a stark contrast to the unseasonably cold temperatures that have been the story for much of May. For instance, both Bradford and State College, Pennsylvania, set record-low maximum temperatures last Thursday when highs remained in the 40s. Both of these communities typically see high temperatures that hover in the upper 60s in the middle of May.

This same area could see record-challenging highs on Monday and Tuesday. Some of these daily high records date back to the early 1960s, speaking to the rarity of heat of this degree so early in the season.

Most portions of the East will see the heat peak on Tuesday after beginning to build on Sunday. The core of the hot temperatures will shift toward the coastline and the Southeast by Wednesday. The weather pattern is expected to deliver the hottest temperatures of the year so far, easily eclipsing the temperatures that were recorded during the short warmups in March and April.

Cities Expected to See the Hottest Temperatures This Week