By Saturday, temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s for millions along the densely populated Interstate 95 from Richmond to Boston. Scorching temperatures – about 20 degrees above normal – accompanied by moderately high humidity Increases the risk of heat-related diseases.
When temperatures peak on Saturday, dozens of daily record levels are expected. Few locations in the Northeast can record the highest temperature ever observed during May and record the hottest weather early in the calendar year. Some locations in the Inland Northeast may experience temperatures higher than what they normally see during the whole summer.
Heat alerts are in effect for much of the Acilla Corridor in the Northeast, including Philadelphia, Newark, parts of the New York City metro, Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Roy and Boston, where heat indicators — reflect how hot it is. In air temperature and humidity – it can range from 100 to 105 degrees. It’s the first Heat warning issued during the month of May by the National Weather Service in New York dating back to at least 2006; The same is true of the Boston office.
The hot weather coincides with a busy weekend of outdoor activities, including several college starts and the 147th run of Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, where record highs are expected in the mid-1990s.
The first case of excessive heat is often the most dangerous because people have not yet acclimated to the high temperatures. Outdoor workers, the elderly, young children, and people without air conditioning are most likely to develop heat-related illnesses.
National Weather Service serving Washington and Baltimore Wrote in a private statement. “Reschedule strenuous activities to the early morning or evening. Plan to wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, and seek shade from the sun. Schedule frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.”
125 million Americans are set to see temperatures as high as 90 degrees in the next several days. Heat has already gathered across the southern United States, a product of plunging, high-pressure air and a “zone” west-to-east jet stream that has allowed warm temperatures to gather north.
Parts of central Texas reached above 105 degrees Thursday, and the mid-1990s high was ubiquitous across the south. Dallas is having the hottest May on record, and Abilene saw a record number of days hitting 100 degrees during the month. San Antonio has I achieved 100 more scores in May than in the whole of last summer.
Now airflow before a strip of low pressure approaching from the Midwest and Ohio Valley will allow temperatures to rise in the East Coast, with the 90s from Florida’s Gulf Coast to northern Vermont and the Canadian border.
The heat will peak on Saturday before being diverted to the Interstate 95 lane just before a cold front on Sunday. By Monday, soaring temperatures of 15-20°C – more in line with seasonal standards – will return.
Monthly records at risk in New England
In Boston, a maximum temperature of 91 degrees is expected on Saturday and 94 degrees on Sunday. But only a few miles inland in Merrimack Valley, elevations may be ascending into the upper 90s. It is not uncommon that with westerly winds and sloping air, one or two sites may reach 100 degrees. Downsloping is the process by which air that descends from high to low is compressed, then heats up, dries out and gets hotter.
That would likely set a Boston record for Sunday, with the current score to be beaten is 93, which was set in 1959.
Hartford is expected to reach 97 or 98 degrees on Saturday and 96 degrees on Sunday. It would break daily records if achieved and threaten the all-time monthly record of 99, which was last set in 2010. The average high in mid to late May is 73.
[This weekend] big early season #the summer #the heat Humidity will arrive at the end of this week with heat index values of 95-102 Fahrenheit on both days. Heat alerts have been issued for most offshore locations. Saturday night’s lows on Saturday will struggle to dip below 70. #MAwx #RIwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/WZGoJZhT2C
– NWS Boston (NWSBoston) May 20 2022
Average high temperatures during the month of May in Hartford have increased by 1.5 degrees since 1950, and 90-degree days are nearly more common, bolstered by human-caused climate change.
Worcester, Massachusetts, is set to break her monthly record two days in a row. Since bookkeeping began in 1892, the city hasn’t jumped above 94 during the month of May. It is expected to reach 97 on Saturday and 97 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the New York City metro area will see hikes into the upper 90s west of the city on Saturday and Sunday. Central Park may hover around 91 degrees, down from the 93 and 96 records for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, that have held out since 1996.
Mid-Atlantic, southeast to sizzling
In the capital, a rise of 94 is expected on Friday and 96 on Saturday. Sunday will be cooler for hair, probably in the lower 90s. Saturday’s reading could set a record, and if it reaches 97 degrees, it becomes the highest temperature observed in the capital early in the year.
Philadelphia also has a strong chance of breaking the record 95 on Saturday.
Across the Southeast, the upper 90s are expected on Friday, with readings possible as few as 100 degrees in central North Carolina. Even on the beaches, Wilmington, North Carolina, can reach 95 degrees. From the mid-1990s onwards it would fill most of the coastal Gulf states and reach as far west as Texas.
Temperatures will finally cool down after this weekend, as a strong cold front blows across the region.
The front itself brings snow to Denver by day peaked around 90 degrees It causes severe thunderstorms across the central United States.
Evidence points to a renewed warm-up in the middle of next week.
Jason Samino contributed to this report.
