This Week's Taste Of Fall In the Central and Eastern U.S. Won't Last Long

Linda Lam
Published: October 11,2016
This is the time of year when large fluctuations in temperatures become common as the country transitions from summer to winter, and many locations in the eastern and central U.S. will experience large temperature changes in the upcoming week.
First, a shot of cold air will infiltrate portions of the Plains and Midwest midweek and into parts of the East at the end of the week. This blast of chilly conditions will not last long as much warmer temperatures will return by early next week for areas east of the Rockies.
(MAPS: Current Temperatures)

A Taste of Fall

Colder temperatures will be ushered in by an eastward moving cold front this week. This cold front will allow temperatures to drop 5 to 15 degrees below average in the Plains and Midwest.
Low temperatures Thursday morning will be 10 to 20 degrees colder than average across the central and northern Plains, as well as portions of the Midwest. This translates into temperatures dropping into the 20s and 30s for most locations.

Some cities will see their coldest temperatures of the season so far. This includes Omaha, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa, which may see temperatures drop to just above freezing. The coldest reading so far this autumn has been 42 degrees in Kansas City, Missouri, and temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-30s Wednesday morning.
Widespread frost and some freezing temperatures are likely. A freeze watch has already been issued for Wednesday night into Thursday morning for portions of southeast South Dakota, Nebraska, northern Kansas, southwest Minnesota and western Iowa.
(MORE: When Does Your First Freeze Typically Arrive?)

Forecast Morning Lows

High temperatures in the central and northern Plains, as well as for much of the Midwest, will also be slightly below average. Highs will top out in the 40s and 50s to the north, with 60s as far south as Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas.

Five Day Forecast

Late this week and into this weekend, cooler conditions will spread to the East Coast. Lows will be up to 10 degrees below average in the Northeast this weekend. High temperatures for the East, however, will only be slightly cooler, with highs near average.
(FORECAST: Pittsburgh | Raleigh | New York | Boston)

Warmer Temperatures Return

The good news for those that aren't quite ready for this cold is that changes are ahead next week. Above-average temperatures will return by early next week, especially across the Plains.
This change will be due to an area of high pressure in the East that'll allow for a south to southwesterly flow to bring warmer temperatures to many of the areas that will have experienced the chilly temperatures this week.

By Sunday, high temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above average from the Plains into the Midwest and much of the South. The warmer conditions will make it to the East Coast by next Tuesday.
Low temperatures will also warm considerably. Lows will range from 5 to 20 degrees warmer than average beginning this weekend in the Plains. The warmer mornings will then spread eastward early next week. In fact, lows by early next week will be warmer than high temperatures this week in some spots.
(FORECAST: Minneapolis | St. Louis | Dallas | Nashville)
Chicago is forecast to see lows around 60 degrees early next week, while highs this Thursday will be in the mid-50s. Oklahoma City is expected to see a low around 70 degrees Monday morning, but on Thursday, temperatures will struggle to reach the mid-60s.

Forecast Highs Compared To Average

Highs in the 70s and 80s will be common from the central and southern Plains into parts of the Midwest and South. A few 90-degree readings are likely in Texas. Highs around 60 degrees may reach the Canadian border, where highs in mid-October are typically in the 40s to around 50 degrees.
Some locations will see highs 20 to 25 degrees warmer than this week early next week. Kansas City, Missouri, for example, will see highs in the upper 50s Wednesday and Thursday, but temperatures will climb to around 80 degrees Sunday and Monday.
By Tuesday, this warm-up will become more widespread. Highs will climb into the 70s as far north as New York City, with mid-80s returning to Atlanta. Low temperatures will be mild as well, with temperatures not dropping below 60 from the South into the mid-Atlantic.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)
There are some indications, including from the Climate Prediction Center, that the above-average temperatures will be the dominant trend over the next two weeks from the Plains into the East.
A few record high temperatures and even record warm low temperatures are also possible early next week.
MORE: Autumn Sunsets