Early-season heat wave expanding from the South to Great Lakes, Northeast
Dozens more record-high temperatures could be broken through the weekend
Heat wave expands into Midwest, Northeast threatening dozens more records
The heat will continue to expand north and east through Saturday, with high temperatures 10-25 degrees above average.
Temperatures will again be well above average across the southern and central U.S. on Thursday, but as we head into the weekend, the Northeast and New England could also experience the record-breaking heat.
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Thursday
Records have already fallen across the South and the central parts of the country, and on Thursday, we expect more to be broken. Most of the threatened record highs will be in the Midwest, Great Lakes, interior Northeast and northern New England.
Check out these temperatures.
Millions of Americans will see another day of temperatures above 90 degrees from Texas and along the Gulf Coast, stretching into the Plains and Mississippi Valley.
Abilene, Texas, has been baking all week with temperatures at or near 100 degrees, and again on Thursday, there's a good chance of the city hitting the century mark.
Even Omaha, Nebraska, has a forecast high temperature today in the mid- to upper 90s.
St. Louis, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will see temperatures in the lower to mid-90s. Chicago got to 90 degrees on Wednesday, which set a record high for the date, but Thursday's temperatures are predicted to be slightly lower at around 86 degrees.
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As we take a closer look at the Northeast and New England, the summerlike heat will be creeping in.
Areas along the Great Lakes and Northeast, like Cleveland and Syracuse, New York, will see temperatures today getting into the mid-80s. Even northern New England, including Bangor, Maine, will get into the 80s today.
However, areas along the East Coast from Boston through Providence, Rhode Island, New York City and Baltimore will be much cooler thanks to a stubborn low-pressure system that has been lingering off the coast all week.
Friday
You’ll notice that there won’t be as many areas at risk of breaking record-high temperatures on Friday, but that doesn’t mean the heat has subsided. It has just moved into other areas of the country.
However, there are still records in jeopardy in places like Arizona and across Texas and parts of western Arkansas.
The focus, though, will be in the Northeast and New England, where the temperatures will really begin to rise.
On Friday, the thermostat will be turned down from broil to bake in the South and in the central U.S.
Places that have seen temperatures at or near 100 degrees, like Abilene, Texas, still won't have any relief.
However, places to the north in the Plains and Midwest will see slightly cooler temperatures.
Omaha, Nebraska, which is expected to get into the mid- to upper 90s today, will see a drop in temperature to about 83 degrees.
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But the Northeast and New England will really be feeling the summerlike temperatures on Friday.
Areas around the Great Lakes and interior Northeast will again see temperatures in the 80s, but as the low-pressure system loses steam farther south, temperatures will get warmer in areas along the coast.
Boston, which is expected to stay in the upper 50s on Thursday, will see temperatures getting close to 70 degrees.
The same is expected in places like Providence, Rhode Island, New York City and Baltimore.
Saturday
Records again will be in jeopardy on Saturday in the Southwest and Southern Plains, and as more heat builds into the Northeast, records could fall there too.
Not as many areas in the South or central U.S. will get to 90 degrees, but Texas will continue to be the nation's hotspot as places like Abilene will again reach around 100 degrees.
More widespread temperatures into the 80s will be experienced from the Plains to Midwest and the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
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Get ready, New England. Saturday is expected to be wicked warm across the region, as well as much of the interior Northeast.
Temperatures in Bangor, Maine, are expected to skyrocket to around 90 degrees, with warm temperatures to the south into Boston, Providence and Hartford, Connecticut, where temperatures could top 80 degrees.