Pattern Change to Bring a Taste of September This Weekend

Brian Donegan
Published: August 17,2016
The dog days of summer have been in full swing lately, but welcomed relief is on the way for the Midwest late this week as a strong cold front slides through the region, bringing much cooler temperatures into the weekend.
The below-average temperatures will come with a price, however. The cold front, or leading edge to cooler air, will also yield a stormy end to the week across the Midwest.
(MORE: Severe Storm Threat Returns)

August Front = Taste of September

High temperatures will be near or above-average into Thursday in the Midwest with readings in the 80s to near 90 degrees.
Then, a strong cold front by August standards, will sweep through the Midwest Friday into Saturday, allowing residents to give their air conditioners a much-needed break.

Forecast Highs

Highs Friday will hold in the 60s and low 70s in parts of the Rockies and northern Plains, including Bismarck, North Dakota, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The below-average temperatures will spread eastward by Saturday into the Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, including cities like Kansas City, St. Louis and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Though it's not uncommon to begin seeing signs of fall in mid-August, these highs will be anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees below average.
In many Midwest locations, these highs will feel more like September.
(MAPS: Monthly Average Highs and Lows)
For the recently sweltering Northeast, this cold front should also bring relief, but not until Monday or Tuesday.
You may need to grab an extra light blanket for the bed, as well.
Morning low temperatures in the 50s should be widespread from the Upper Mississippi Valley and western Great Lakes into the central Plains by Sunday and Monday morning.
Lows in the 40s are expected from northern Minnesota and Upper Michigan to parts of the Dakotas and High Plains, with a few 30s possible in the coldest spots.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast Highs and Lows)

Late-Week Setup

As jet-stream energy dips southward out of Canada over the warm, humid air mass ahead of the cold front late this week, the atmosphere will become unstable.
This means there will be a threat for severe thunderstorms in the Midwest as the cold front continues its trek eastward through the region.
(MORE: Severe Storm Threat Returns)

Setup for a fall-like cold front later this week.

The jet-stream dip, or trough of low pressure, will help push the cold front through, making it feel more like September.
The below-average temperatures in the Midwest will likely continue into next week, as this weather pattern is not expected to change much.

MORE: Mid-May 2016 Midwest, Northeast Snow