Chicago hit 100 degrees for the first time since 2012, but big changes are on the way as the heat dome over the central United States gets squashed southward.
Published Aug 24, 2023 1:07 PM EDT | Updated Aug 25, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
The past week has featured some of the hottest weather of the entire year across part of the north-central United States, but AccuWeather meteorologists say that relief is on the way for some, but not all, of the region this weekend. And, temperatures in the Southeast will throttle up.
Wednesday was one of the most extensive days of blistering, humid conditions during the entire heat wave over the Central states. In Chicago, the mercury ascended to 98 degrees on Wednesday. However, the very next day, the atmosphere topped that mark with a high of 100 F. The last time there were triple-digit highs in the city was on July 6, 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
Maximum AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures soared to the 130s in a handful of states, with Atlantic, Iowa, topping out at 139 degrees Fahrenheit, the top of the scale, described as "Extraordinarily Dangerous."
AccuWeather RealFeel(R) Sun Temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday, degrees F, were in the upper 130s in several states.
Changes will take place to knock down the heat in part of the central region soon, however.
As a cool front advances southward and a disturbance high in the atmosphere dives across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast through the start of the weekend, some relief from the exceptional heat that has gripped portions of the central Plains and Midwest is in store, AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton said.
"Essentially, the massive area of heat, or heat dome, will be attacked from the north and northeast starting late this week and on through the weekend," Thornton said. "As this happens, the heat core will extend across Texas where it has been much of the summer and into the Southeast, where it has also been persistent."
The Dallas/Fort Worth area has endured 44 days this summer through Thursday with highs of 100 F or greater. Meanwhile, Bergstrom Airport at Austin, Texas, has hit the century mark 50 times. Historical average daytime highs at both locations are extreme -- in the mid- to upper 90s during much of the summer. However, temperatures in these areas were still 3-4 degrees above the average mark since June 1.
Farther to the east this summer, some of the biggest temperature departures have occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi.
In New Orleans, the temperature crested at 102 degrees on Wednesday, which tied the all-time high for the city set on Aug. 22, 1980. Temperatures hit 100 on Thursday.
In Jackson, Mississippi, temperatures trended higher as the summer progressed from June to August. For the month of August so far, temperatures have averaged 6 degrees above the historical average with at least 18 days with highs of 100 or greater. A high in the low 90s is typical.
The summer has been no picnic in terms of comfort for much of the Southeast states as well. Very high humidity, even by Southern standards, has literally been a "sticky point," consistently pushing AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to dangerous levels above 100 on many days from Florida and Georgia to the Carolinas and Alabama.
In the Southeast states, the greatest temperature departures from historical averages have been near the Gulf coast and the Florida Peninsula. Even long-term residents of Florida have noticed the hotter conditions, where temperatures have been 2-3 degrees above the historical average since June 1 and 3-4 degrees above average for August. Typical highs in much of Florida are in the low to mid-90s in the summer.
As aforementioned, another surge of heat is coming for some of the last unofficial days of summer for the Southeast.
"As the 'round-shaped' heat dome gets 'flattened,' extreme temperatures will be pushed into the Southeast states, where cities such as Atlanta could record the first triple-digit high temperature of the summer," Thornton said. As of Thursday, the highest temperature so far this summer has been 98, which occurred on July 29. The last time the temperature in Atlanta reached 100 degrees was Aug. 13, 2019.
A number of locations in Alabama have had season highs in the upper 90s that may be replaced by triple digits this weekend.
Similarly, Charlotte may eclipse its maximum temperature for the year on Saturday with a high in the upper 90s forecast. Columbia, South Carolina, and Tallahassee, Florida, will challenge their 2023 high-temperature mark of 101 this weekend as well.
Temperatures are projected to reach the middle to upper 90s in much of the Florida Peninsula each day from Friday through the weekend and may challenge record highs.
People spending time at area theme parks in central Florida are strongly encouraged to stay hydrated in the dangerously hot and humid conditions of one of the last weekends of the summer.
Some cooler air will dip into parts of the southern Plains this weekend.
Metro areas such as Oklahoma City, where high temperatures have remained at or above 100 since Aug. 19, just might end up with temperatures falling below the historical average by Sunday. During late August, a high near 90 is typical for the city.
In terms of rainfall, periodic downpours have been responsible for 75-125% of historical average rainfall from central Alabama and northern Georgia to the Carolinas. The rain has been helping to push humidity levels up.
Heat has been building drought, wildfire concerns
Farther to the south and west, rainfall has been lean in many areas this summer. Along with a dry patch near the west coast of the Florida Peninsula, the dry conditions progressively worsen from east to west across the Gulf coast and into Texas, according to the latest United States Drought Monitor report issued on Aug. 22.
For example, in Alexandria, Louisiana, rainfall during June and July was about 50% of the historical average with about 6.50 inches of rain. However, from Aug. 1-23, only 0.01 of an inch of rain has fallen, compared to an August historical average of 4.30 inches.
The dry conditions have raised the risk of wildfires in the region. With each day of extreme heat, the wildfire danger increases.
As far as relief from the dryness and heat, there is some hope that the same cool front will continue to wiggle southward prior to the end of the month and may reach the Gulf coast and southern Atlantic states.
Tropical activity may cross paths with southeastern US
AccuWeather's long-range meteorologists will be closely monitoring for tropical activity from the western Caribbean to the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters from Florida to the Carolinas for development.
A high risk of tropical development now exists from Monday to Tuesday in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Steering breezes would direct any tropical rainstorm that evolves into a full-blown tropical storm or hurricane toward the upper west coast of the Florida Peninsula sometime from late Tuesday to Wednesday, but timing and location would depend on the development and intensity of the tropical system itself.
Even if a named tropical system does not take shape, a surge in tropical moisture will help to promote wetter weather across part of the Southeast.
The track of any of these features over land could bring much-needed, but perhaps also flooding, rain to some locations in the Southeast.
Tropical systems are unlikely to reach the northwestern Gulf region through the end of the month.
Meanwhile, over the Atlantic, Franklin will gain strength this weekend offshore of the U.S., but may take a close swipe at Bermuda from Monday to Tuesday.
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