By AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Mar. 4, 2022 9:45 AM EST | Updated Mar. 4, 2022 2:39 PM EST
Remarkable late-winter warmth set numerous record highs over portions of the Plains and Midwest earlier this week, and after a slight cooldown occurred on Thursday, AccuWeather forecasters say that the warmth will return to cover more of the United States by this weekend.
Locations such as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, recorded high temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit on Wednesday, but temperatures reached only the upper 50s to near 60 on Thursday. Both cities will have highs back in the 70s by Saturday; however, it will be farther to the east where temperatures will challenge records on Sunday.
"As a large area of high pressure migrates to a position off the Southeast and mid-Atlantic coasts this weekend, it will begin to pump some unusually warm air into the eastern third of the country," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski.
Residents of the Southeast may be checking the calendar this weekend. Although March has only just begun, Mother Nature will fast forward to June in some locations.
The current record high for Sunday in Raleigh, North Carolina, is 82 degrees, a record that dates back to 1967; the existing record high for Monday in the city is 85 F and has been in place since 1974.
With a forecast high of 82 degrees on Sunday and 84 degrees on Monday, Raleigh will be very close to tying or setting new records on both days. The normal high in Raleigh does not reach 84 degrees until June 1.
New records are even more likely in states along the Gulf Coast. For example, Atlanta's forecast temperature of 84 F on Sunday would break the current record by 5 degrees. Another day of record warmth is expected on Monday, with a record high of 81 forecast to best the record of 80 degrees. Both records were set in 1974.
One location in southwestern Georgia with likely record warmth will be Albany. The temperature of 89 degrees on Sunday would surpass the current record of 88 degrees set in 1961. By Monday, a 104-year-old record may fall or be tied, with a forecast high of 87 degrees, the same temperature as it was on March 7, 1918.
Winter Haven, Florida is forecast to record the first 90-degree temperature of the year for the Southeast. The highest official temperature reading this year east of Texas was 89 degrees in Brookesville, Florida, on February 26.
Temperatures will not be quite as high farther to the north, but records will still be in jeopardy. Philadelphia will be another city that will be in record territory on both Sunday and Monday. Sunday's forecast high of 74 degrees would easily surpass the record of 71 degrees set in 1935. Monday's record is 74 degrees set in 1974; the current forecast for that day in the City of Brotherly Love is 73.
Cooler air may arrive in New York City on Monday, but Sunday could feature record warmth. The standing record of 68 degrees set in 1935 is forecast to be surpassed with a high temperature of 70 degrees in the Big Apple.
Some locations in the Northeast will experience quite a temperature range between Friday morning and Sunday afternoon. Saranac Lake, New York, will have temperatures rise from 22 below zero degrees Fahrenheit Friday morning to 53 degrees Sunday afternoon, a difference of 75 degrees.
One potential drawback to the surge in warmth will be the potential for brush fires as the combination of warm air, lingering dry brush and locally gusty winds will create the perfect recipe for fires this weekend into early next week.
A cold front advancing eastward will bring a dramatic change back to more typical March temperatures. In fact, while the East is basking in warmth on Monday, it will be a different story in the Great Lakes.
"There will be a remarkable temperature contrast on Monday, with some places in the mid-Atlantic in the 80s while the eastern Great Lakes are stuck in the 30s," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
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"As a low-pressure system moves northeastward, rain is expected to reach the I-95 corridor by Monday night, and then a cooling trend is expected to start on Tuesday," stated Babinski.
While the springlike warmth will come to an end, unseasonably cold air will not arrive right away.
"Temperatures by the middle of next week should be much closer to typical levels for this time of year," said Babinski.
March is typically a month with wild temperature swings as spring begins to do battle with winter. AccuWeather meteorologists say there are indications that another storm may arrive later next week, with much colder air in the wake of that system.
Temperatures could plunge as much as 30-35 degrees below normal from the northern Rockies into the High Plains late next week, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
In fact, early indications point toward this cold snap having the potential to break long-standing low-temperature records.
"Some of the low temperatures that are possible late next week and weekend could be the coldest remaining conditions until next fall or winter," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
The cold snap will be robust and intense enough for snow to fall in some areas, which will serve as a reminder that winter isn’t finished yet.
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