Updated Sep. 26, 2019 9:43 AM
Though fall officially began on Monday, the summerlike weather will continue baking much of the South through the end of September and into next month. Millions of Americans across the South will face record-challenging temperatures into early October as an area of high pressure continues to remain anchored over the region.
Many cities across the region have broken multiple daily high-temperature records so far this month. Atlanta, for example, has already set five daily high-temperature records so far this month. On Wednesday, the mercury rose to 93 degrees there, tying the record set in Atlanta in 2010, according to The National Weather Service (NWS).
Wednesday was the third day in a row Atlanta has seen the temperature soar past 90 and AccuWeather is forecasting the 90-degree temps to hold through the end of the month. Average highs for Atlanta at this time of year are 79 and 78 degrees through the end of September. By October 1, the average high there stands at 77.
A similar scenario is playing out in other cities as well.
Both Montgomery, Alabama, and Columbia, Georgia, have set or tied six daily records. Tallahassee, Florida, has set five daily records and further north in Nashville, Tennessee, four daily records have been broken or tied this month.
As the upper-level pattern over the South remains relatively unchanged, many of the aforementioned cities will continue to challenge record-high temperatures nearly every day for the rest of September. And high temperatures are forecast to remain well above average into early October.
On Thursday, widespread temperatures in the 90s will stretch across the Deep South and along the Southeast coast. Cities as far north as Virginia Beach, Virginia, could have temperatures reaching the 90 F.
The heat will expand westward across the lower Mississippi Valley northward into the Ohio River Valley on Friday, bringing record-challenging temperatures to places like Nashville. The warmth will even push into much of the Northeast.
For Americans across the South wondering when more seasonable fall-like temperatures will arrive, there won't be much relief found in the forecast. Unseasonably warm conditions through the end of the month are expected courtesy of a highly meridional pattern that has set up in the upper levels of the atmosphere.
While many across the South will continue to bake in the heat, record-challenging low temperatures as well as accumulating snow are expected across the Northwest late this week into this weekend.
As that storm system tracks across the country this weekend and into next week, forecasters do not expect this cold weather to reach the South.
The persistent heat through the end of September and into October will also act to delay fall foliage. While some peaks of color have been spotted across the mountains of North Carolina, many locales across the South do not expect to see peak colors until late October or early November. The persistent heat may act to delay these peak foliage times.
The latest US drought monitor continues to show expanding dry conditions across this region as well. The abnormally dry conditions combined with the persistent heat across this region will add additional stress to vegetation, making leaves less vibrant than they would be in a more seasonable fall transition.
The tropical Atlantic is teeming with activity currently, with Karen, Lorenzo and an additional area of interest in the Gulf of Mexico, but latest forecasts show these systems will fail to provide any drought relief across the South. The dome of high pressure over the region should make it difficult for any of these systems to come near the United States mainland through much of next week.
Through the next week to 10 days, many locales across the South will continue the hot and dry pattern. With little cooling relief from any dips in the jet stream and little rainfall from tropical systems, it looks like summer is here to stay for a little while longer.
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Download the free AccuWeather app to keep track of temperature trends in your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV , Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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