The great divide: Western US to see below-average temperatures while warm air dominates in the East
A dip in the jet stream over the West has been allowing cold air to settle across the region, while in the East, the jet stream is pushing north and allowing a warmer air mass to build into the region.
Unseasonably warm temperatures continue across the East, cooler air remains out West
A split temperature pattern is expected across the United States this week with the western U.S experiencing cold conditions and the eastern U.S experiencing warm conditions.
A split temperature pattern across the U.S. is causing the western half of the country to see below-average temperatures while warmer air remains in the East, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
A dip in the jet stream over the West has been allowing cold air to settle across the region, while in the East, the jet stream is pushing north and allowing a warmer air mass to build into the region.
The eastern U.S. will enjoy above-average temperatures this week while cold air settles across the western U.S.
(FOX Weather)
Cooler in the West
A cold air mass that originated from the Arctic was transported south due to a strong area of high pressure over Canada.
As the cold air surged south, temperatures across the West have been running about 10 to 30 degrees below average, and some locations in the higher elevations saw temperatures drop into the single digits.
(FOX Weather)
On Wednesday, about 73 million Americans in the West will be dealing with cooler-than-average temperatures. As the week continues, however, that number will grow.
By Friday, 173 million Americans from the West Coast through the Plains and into the Midwest will be below average for this time of year.
Expected high temperatures in the West on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
(FOX Weather)
Temperatures in the West will remain below average for many areas through the end of the workweek, though they will be on the rise for Friday.
Salt Lake City, for example, will see a high temperate of around 30 degrees on Wednesday but will rise to near 40 degrees by Friday.
Denver, too, will see a big jump in temperatures as we close out the week. Wednesday's high temperature will be around 20 degrees but will rise to the lower 50s by Friday.
East enjoying warmer temperatures
Records could be broken as temperatures that are well above average settle across the eastern U.S. this week.
(FOX Weather)
Across the eastern half of the country, the FOX Forecast Center said an unseasonably warm air mass originating from the Gulf of Mexico will surge north due to a storm system spinning across the southern U.S.
As that warmer air slides off to the east, it will cause temperatures to rise well above average for this time of year.
Mild air has surged eastward this week, and as a result, millions of Americans from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast have been enjoying warmer-than-average temperatures.
(FOX Weather)
Across the South, temperatures will likely rise into the 70s, while Florida could see record-high temperatures in the 90s later in the week.
In the mid-Atlantic, some areas could see temperatures climb into the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Record high temperatures could be in jeopardy on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
Records could be broken across the East, with a majority of those in the Ohio Valley and Northeast.
Memphis, Tennessee, for example, could see a high temperature of about 74 degrees on Wednesday afternoon. But people living there need to keep an eye on the sky as there is a significant risk of severe weather, including tornadoes.