Chris Dolce
Published: March 25, 2020
Summerlike temperatures will develop in parts of the South late this week, potentially setting dozens of daily record highs in what has already been one of the warmest starts to March on record.
A building dome of high pressure is expected to bulge northward into the South. When that happens, there is sinking air in the atmosphere that causes temperatures to heat up.
The warmer-than-average temperatures will build northward from out of South Texas, the Gulf Coast and Florida mid- to late week.
A few spots in southern Texas could reach the century mark Thursday or Friday afternoon.
Houston, New Orleans and Orlando will have multiple days in the upper 80s or lower 90s. Some parts of Florida away from the coast could reach the mid-90s. Those temperatures are more typical of the average high in late May or June in those cities.
For perspective, average highs in Houston and New Orleans in late March are in the mid-70s. Orlando's average high is near 80 degrees this time of year.
Areas near and north of Interstate 20 from Texas to South Carolina will also warm well into 80s. Jackson, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana, could hit the upper 80s Thursday and Friday, which is more typical of the average high in late May or early June.
Forecast Highs
Several daily record highs will likely be set late this week into the weekend. Here's a look at which states have one or more locations that could be near record highs.
Thursday: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Alabama and Florida
Friday: Southeastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Alabama, Middle and South Georgia, South Carolina and Florida
Saturday: Southeastern Louisiana, South Mississippi, South Alabama, Florida, South Georgia and South Carolina
A few locations could also approach all-time record highs for the entire month of March. This includes Jacksonville, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama, where the current March records are 91 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively.
Forecast Highs Compared to Daily Records
A cold front will allow temperatures to tumble back closer to late-March averages by Saturday in most areas west of the Mississippi River. The cooler air will begin to spread into parts of the Tennessee Valley and northern Gulf Coast regions on Sunday.
A Hot March Already
Temperatures have been much above average so far this March in the South.
Several cities are on pace to have a top-10-warmest March. Here's where this month ranks among the warmest Marches on record for several cities through March 24, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center:
-Warmest: New Orleans
-Second warmest: Pensacola, Florida, and Houston
-Third warmest: Austin and Corpus Christi, Texas
-Fifth warmest: Jackson, Mississippi, and Fort Myers, Florida
-Seventh warmest: Jacksonville, Florida
-Ninth warmest: Atlanta
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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