Los Angeles Tops 100 Degrees Back-to-Back for the First Time in October

Vastly different weather patterns have marked the week in the West and the East. While the western third of the country is sizzling, fall is putting on a show along the East Coast. Read on for the details of these contrasting conditions.

First Threat of Frost and Freeze in the East

Unseasonably warm temperatures have been the story over the last week in the West, just as the first taste of fall takes over the eastern U.S. A strong cold front pushing through the East is bringing down cool and dry air from Canada to start the week. This high-pressure system has supported the development of the first chance of frost and freeze conditions for parts of the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast. While not quite as cold, the chillier air is dipping as far south as the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast this week.

High temperatures will bounce around in the 50s and low 60s for much of New England, the Northeast, and the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, portions of the Southeast will see daytime highs top out in the 60s and low 70s. The lack of wind and clear skies will translate to temperatures diving to the freezing mark across the higher elevations. Overnight lows in the 30s will be the story for parts of New England, central Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes, and the Adirondacks. Frost advisories and freeze warnings were issued for parts of northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania earlier in the week.

The chilly conditions will advance farther to the east as the week progresses.  Places such as Syracuse, New York, will see average morning temperatures of 46 degrees throughout the week. While last week was quite warm in the eastern U.S., that last gasp of summer was likely the last heat that the region will see until next spring. Normal fall conditions and cold nights will keep the threat of early-season freezes in the picture for the foreseeable future.

Heat Persists Out West

Meanwhile, the western U.S. has been under the gun for unseasonably warm weather over the last week. The mercury has hit the century mark in several areas, abnormally warm even for this part of the country in October.

Heat warnings and advisories are in place for parts of Southern California through Thursday evening. The impact zones include the large metro areas of San Diego and Los Angeles. There have been 15 new record-high temperatures set since last Friday. For instance, Los Angeles notched consecutive days with temperatures over 100 degrees for the first time in October earlier in the week.  

The heat is not limited to the southern part of the Golden State. Heat advisories are also in place for parts of Northern California, including Sacramento and San Francisco, as well as the central coast and the San Joaquin Valley, through the end of the work week.

Widespread temperatures will range 10 to 15 degrees above the norm for early October in a large swath of the West from California to Montana. This heat will then spread into the Great Plains and beyond in the days ahead.

The West Coast will finally see relief from this heat on Friday and Saturday. Los Angeles will fall from a high in the upper 90s on Wednesday to readings that max out in the mid 80s by Saturday. Rain is even on the way for the City of Angels by the end of the weekend, as what is left of Hurricane Rachel in the Eastern Pacific flows up into parts of California and the Southwest.

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