A strong cold front currently near the East Coast Thursday afternoon will herald a change to a truly autumnal airmass for nearly all of the eastern U.S. to end the week.
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This will be accompanied by a strong upper level trough and highs will easily be 15-25 degrees cooler compared to recent days, which will equate to widespread 60s and 70s during the day, and 40s and 50s at night as the large surface high settles in.
Some frost will even be possible for some of the inland valleys of the central and northern Appalachians with clear skies and light winds, and also for northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan where freeze warnings are in effect.
The exception will be the Florida Peninsula where the front is expected to stall, with heat and humidity remaining in place going into the weekend.
Temperatures will likely be above average across most of the Plains going into the weekend, with highs reaching into the 90s for much of Texas and Oklahoma.
In terms of precipitation, some light to moderate rainfall is expected across the Dakotas and into the Upper Midwest as a low pressure system crosses the region and advects moisture northward, but nothing too heavy is currently expected at this time.
Scattered to numerous showers and storms will remain across mostly eastern Arizona and northern New Mexico through mainly Friday night, with flood watches remaining in place for parts of these areas.
Showers and storms are also expected to persist for central and southern Florida with moisture convergence south of the stalled front.
Elsewhere, a high wind watch is in effect for eastern Maine since this area will be on the far western edge of powerful Hurricane Fiona as it undergoes extratropical transition over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and rip currents will remain a problem for much of the East Coast through the end of the week. ■
A hyperactive weather pattern will bring an expansive low pressure system across mainland U.S., resulting in widespread impactful weather to progress from west to east across the country through the next few days.