Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast in Store for Cooler Air

It will start to feel like summer is indeed coming to a close in parts of the Midwest and the Northeast, starting later this week as a fresh batch of Canadian air moves down to the south. The cooler temperatures could linger for several days. Here is a look at the projected timing of this noticeable weather change.

Midwest Up First for Cooler Temperatures

The coolest air since last spring is gearing up to sweep down into the Midwest before moving to the Northeast. The Midwest will begin to see the impacts on Friday, while the Northeast will need to wait a bit longer for the relief to arrive. Residents can expect temperatures to hit levels most typically seen in late September or early October.

How low will the mercury drop? Forecasters believe that the temperatures in the 80s will swap places with readings that top out in the 60s and the 70s. For instance, after seeing highs hover near 80 degrees on Friday, Minneapolis will struggle to break past the 70-degree barrier on Saturday. It will be even cooler on Sunday in the Twin Cities with a forecast high in the mid 60s. Overnight lows will settle in the 50s in the metro area during this time.

Areas closer to the border shared with Canada could see high readings that only hit the 50s over the weekend. Similarly, overnight lows will slide into the 30s and low 40s in some of the northern reaches of the Upper Midwest. While a widespread frost is not expected, temperatures could approach these levels in the coldest areas.

The Great Lakes region will also see much cooler weather by the end of the weekend and into the early part of next week. Chicago is expeting a high of just 71 degrees on Monday. To put this into context, the historical average for this time of the year in the Windy City is the low 80s. You will find similar conditions to the east in Detroit.

While it will not be quite as cool in the Plains states, the change will be noticeable. Kansas City is forecast to see highs remain in the upper 80s on Friday. After readings that fall a few notches lower on Saturday, the metro area will cool off with a forecast high of 80 on Sunday and the mid 70s on Monday and Tuesday.

Timing of Cooler Air for the Northeast

The humidity levels will remain elevated ahead of the arrival of the cooler air. The relief from the heat will not reach the populated Interstate 95 corridor and the Ohio Valley until the start of next week. This will translate to a warm and muggy weekend for the eastern third of the country.

The change in temperatures will be similar to what the Midwest will experience a day or two earlier. This means that the mercury will dip to about 10 to 20 degrees below the norm for the end of August.

This is not the first outbreak of cooler air to drop down from Canada this summer. However, the expected stubborn dip in the jet stream will likely keep this cooler air in place for a longer time. A southward dip in the jet stream is largely indicative of the chance for reinforcing waves of cooler air that linger longer.

People in the higher elevations of the Northeast may be reaching for jackets at times over the next week. Some locations may see highs max out in the 50s. Should clouds begin to build or rain break out, these readings will drop even further.

The pleasant weather pattern will also feature cleaner air. The last time that cooler air came down from Canada into the U.S., it also brought smoky and hazy air generated from the wildfires burning across several provinces. Recent rain across central Canada has helped to alleviate some of the wildfire concerns, meaning that the U.S. will also not be under the gun for the smoky conditions.

However, parts of the Great Lakes and the Northeast may be under their own threat of wildfire danger as drought conditions grow in this region. This will be a potential issue that forecasters monitor in the days to come.

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