Cooling Autumn Breeze Sweeps Across U.S., Bringing Lower Than Normal Temperatures Through Early September

A substantial autumnal chill is anticipated to sweep across much of the United States, with a prolonged period of cooler temperatures on the horizon. Unlike the brief respite from summer heat experienced recently, this cooldown is expected to have more staying power.

Beginning this weekend, a cold front moving through the north-central US will initiate the trend, followed by a surge of cool air from Canada as the front moves south and east. The possibility exists for additional waves of fall-like air later next week, further extending its tenure.

The Dakotas will experience temperatures reminiscent of late September first, with highs barely reaching the low 70s in Bismarck on Saturday and Sunday – nearly 10 degrees cooler than average for this time of year. Minneapolis is also set to embrace the unseasonable chill, with a forecasted Saturday morning low dipping into the upper 50s, marking the first sub-60-degree temperature all month. The city’s high of 67 degrees on Sunday will likely be the lowest of this stretch and its coolest since late June.

As we move into next week, the autumnal air expands across more of the Midwest and Plains. Chicago can anticipate a high of around 70 degrees on Monday, about 10 degrees below normal and the city’s coolest high since early June. The September-like 70s are predicted to persist for much of the week, accompanied by overnight lows in the mid-50s.

Monday and Tuesday will be the coolest days of the week in Kansas City, Missouri, with highs in the mid-70s expected. However, it’s the overnight lows in the mid-50s that will present the most significant difference: The city hasn’t experienced a night this cool since early June.

Oklahoma City may feel more like October than August by Tuesday, with an anticipated high in the low 70s – about 15 degrees cooler than normal. Such temperatures were last felt in the city in late May.

By Wednesday, the cooldown is expected to reach its peak, bringing cooler-than-normal conditions across much of the South and as far east as the Gulf Coast. Dallas could top out in the upper 80s on Wednesday, a welcome 5 degrees lower than average after seven weeks of temperatures over 90 degrees.

Relief from a heat dome will arrive for parts of the West by midweek, with Phoenix experiencing a high in the mid-90s on Wednesday – marking the first non-triple-digit temperature since July. Farther north, Salt Lake City could see highs in the low 70s on Wednesday and Thursday, about 15 degrees cooler than normal.

Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic have already enjoyed pumpkin-spice weather this week, thanks to an earlier cold front and a wind shift from Hurricane Erin. A brief warm-up is expected over the weekend for much of the region before temperatures drop once again next week, with widespread highs in the 70s predicted from Virginia to Ohio and all the way to the Canadian border by Tuesday. Some higher elevation areas of the Appalachians may only reach the 60s or even stay below 50 degrees.

This September-like chill will persist into Wednesday before temperatures gradually rise, but they are still expected to remain slightly cooler than normal on Thursday. Another push of cool air from Canada is possible late next week, potentially extending this taste of autumn through at least Labor Day weekend.

While autumn enthusiasts celebrate, the threat of warmer-than-normal weather remains a constant concern. The Climate Prediction Center’s forecast indicates cooler-than-normal conditions will persist into early September; however, the center’s prediction for September as a whole points towards warmer-than-average temperatures across the Lower 48, with meteorological fall – September through November – also expected to be warmer than normal for most of the country.