Midwest and Northeast Brace for Dramatic Temperature Plunge This Week

After much of the US has been enduring above-average temperatures, a dramatic shift in the weather is set to arrive in the coming days. Forecasters predict temperatures could drop by nearly 20 degrees later this week, as an expansive area of high pressure moves in from Canada.

The cooler conditions will first reach the north-central United States on Wednesday, with the cooldown gradually spreading across the eastern half of the country in the following days. By Thursday, highs in the 70s are expected across wide portions of the Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and parts of the Ohio Valley. Friday is expected to be the coolest day of the week for many in these regions, with New York City only reaching the mid-to-upper 70s, a sharp contrast to the mid-90s earlier in the week.

However, the same weather pattern bringing the relief from the heat is also expected to trigger rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms, raising the risk of flash flooding in areas already saturated from earlier summer storms. The flood threats will be most prominent in parts of the Midwest, along the Gulf Coast, and across the Northeast.