The final few days of October will feature roughly 100 new daily record highs as the thermometer soars to summer-like levels Monday through Thursday.
For locations like Washington, D.C. and New York City, a forecast high near 80 degrees on Thursday will make it feel more like Labor Day in terms of the warm temperatures than Halloween.
Monday’s high temperatures expected to reach 15 to 25 degrees above average across the Great Plains and into parts of the South and Midwest. This will mean temperature readings in the 80s and 90s for Texas and the Southwest with 60s and 70s for highs across the Upper Midwest.
Little Rock, Arkansas, Wichita, Kansas, Shreveport, Louisiana, Memphis and Austin are all metro areas that could kick off the week setting record highs.
These much above-average temperatures will shift east into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley by Tuesday where record highs are expected for Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis.
Fast forward to Thursday and the record-warmth shifts into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Buffalo and Albany, New York, Burlington, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and Reading, Pennsylvania, are all cities that could begin trick or treating with record-high temperatures in place.
While the warm temperatures will prevent jackets from ruining costumes, warmer Halloweens are the future as October nights trend warmer due to the influence of human-driven climate change.
According to Climate Central, October nights have warmed in 216 U.S. cities (89% of 242 analyzed) by 3.3°F on average since 1970.
The Midwest and Northeast will see cooler temperatures by Friday, but the South will stay hot into the weekend.
