How the weekend heat will impact J.Lo and 6 US summer hot spots

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

The possible record-setting heat throughout the United States Friday and Saturday could impact a number of events in several East Coast cities and at other iconic locations around the country. Temperatures in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City could approach 100 degrees and set daily records, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

Among the events that could be affected by the weather is a concert Saturday in Philadelphia by Jennifer Lopez, fresh off her blacked out and canceled concert exactly one week earlier in New York City. The AccuWeather daytime forecast calls for a high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature of 110, a mark that advises caution, particularly “if outside for extended periods, and especially while doing strenuous activities.”

The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature Guide offers 18 different RealFeel ranges with explanation on the meaning and impact for each in terms of health, safety and comfort, along with suggestions for what clothing and activities are best suited for different types of weather conditions and what dangers may exist. 

“Heat kills a lot of people and the elderly and very young are extremely sensitive to extremes of temperature,” said Dr. Joel N. Myers, AccuWeather founder and CEO. “The temperature and other indices do not tell the whole story of how weather conditions make us feel. Other weather variables in addition to temperature, such as sunlight, humidity, wind, precipitation and a multitude of other factors, can impact our comfort or discomfort outside and may even cause harm or illness.”

Vacationers hitting iconic East Coast sites such as the Freedom Trail in Boston and Niagara Falls in New York should expect to experience uncomfortable temperatures. Saturday, Boston is expected to reach a high of 98 – the record for the day is 99, set in 1991 – and the RealFeel will be 106. AccuWeather is calling for a high of 89 and a RealFeel of 99 at Niagara Falls on Friday.

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This weekend’s heat isn’t limited to the East Coast, however. Disney World, where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in a little over a month, is forecast to have a high of 94 with a RealFeel of 105 Saturday.

In Houston, NRG Stadium, which has a retractable roof, the city is hosting the World Series of Dog Shows in the morning and a soccer match between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid at night Saturday. The AccuWeather forecast calls for a high of 94 with a RealFeel of 106 in the daytime. And among other baseball games this weekend, the Chicago Cubs will host San Diego at historic Wrigley Field with highs Friday expected to be 95 with a RealFeel of 104.

Finally, Saturday’s weather is the perfect day for one of film’s most iconic weathermen and the Saint Louis Art Museum’s outdoor movie series is the place to see “Anchorman,” featuring Brick Tamland. AccuWeather calls for a high of 97 and a RealFeel of 108 Saturdayafternoon in Saint Louis.

Caution is advised when the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature reaches at least 108 F. In the summer, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are among the heat-related illnesses that result in an average of 658 people a year in the U.S. dying due to extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).