Midwest, Northeast to bask in September-like warmth through weekend

Following cold winds and even some snow to start the week, the Midwest and Northeast have become warmer the last few days. Forecasters say that even higher temperatures lie ahead.

After a dip in the jet stream brought conditions more reminiscent of winter a few days ago, the jet stream has since retreated to the north. This has allowed warmer air to flow northward into the Midwest and Northeast, and temperatures for many areas south of New England were above normal on Wednesday. As the jet stream moves farther north, even New England will turn mild on Thursday.

A strong area of high pressure will cause the jet stream to move into Canada by Friday and the weekend, a position normally reserved for summer. While summer temperatures will not occur given the short days and low sun angle, it certainly will not feel like November and records will be in jeopardy.

Minneapolis is forecast to approach a record high on Friday with a projected high temperature of 71 degrees. The record is 73 degrees set in 1893. By Saturday, an even older record could be broken. The forecast high of 69 will be just shy of the record of 72 degrees set in 1874. Typically in early November, the Twin Cities fail to even reach 50 degrees.

New York City will also close in on a record to end the week. The current record for Friday is 74 degrees, set in 2015. The forecast high on Friday is 71 degrees in the Big Apple. New York normally settles into the upper 50s for highs during this time of year.

Chicago will be yet another city challenging records. The high of 72 degrees on Sunday will be close to the record of 73 degrees set in 1931. On Monday, the forecast high of 75 degrees would break the current record of 74 degrees set in 1999.

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The warm air will also be accompanied by dry conditions. In fact, it may even be hard to find a cloud at times.

This will allow residents to rake any leaves that may still be on the ground, or to just enjoy some time outdoors.

A storm and associated cold front will be coming east late in the weekend. With a dip in the jet stream in the West, the warm weather will continue in the East.

"As a slow moving area of low pressure brings a swath of snow to the northern Plains this weekend, a high pressure system located in the eastern third of the country will continue to pump warmer-than-normal air into the East," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski.

Early next week, the aforementioned cold front will bring an end to the unseasonable warmth in the Midwest. After a high of 60 degrees and rain on Monday, Minneapolis could see snowflakes in the air on Tuesday with temperatures failing to reach 40 degrees.

Given the strength of the high in the East, the cold front will be very slow to move eastward. It will likely take until Wednesday for the front to make it to the East Coast.

"Some showers will usher in seasonably cooler air during the second half of next week," Babinski said.

The change in the East will therefore not be as dramatic as it will be in the Midwest when the unusual warmth comes to an end.

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