Publication Date October 31, 2016 | WxShift

Warm Weather Could Linger From Halloween to Election Day

United States
The 6-10 day forecast indicates that much of the U.S. will see increased odds for warmer than normal temperatures. Image: Climate Prediction Center
The 6-10 day forecast indicates that much of the U.S. will see increased odds for warmer than normal temperatures. Image: Climate Prediction Center

Warm weather has swept across much of the country to end the month and shows no signs of abating through Election Day next Tuesday. High pressure will keep the heat locked in across the country.

Almost all of the Lower 48 will see increased odds of above normal temperatures for the next 6-10 days with the exception of the New England states and Florida. That includes a large area of what could be record-setting warmth at times over the next week for the Upper Midwest, Rockies and Southern Plains.

That means temperatures could reach the mid-80s for much of the region and could even crack 90°F in certain spots from the Texas Panhandle to Alabama. After the sun goes down, temperatures will dip back to the 70s. That’s not candy-melting weather, but it’s still spooky warm for this time of year.

...

Though the official numbers won’t be crunched for a few weeks, early signs point to significant October warmth for much of the country. The Pacific Northwest and Northern California are the only places that were on the cool side. Estimates indicate they were about 7°F below normal.

In comparison, much of the rest of the country was warmer than average and in some places, significantly warmer than average. The Southern Plains and Midwest had large areas where temperatures were up to 14°F above normal, according to preliminary estimates.

A number of cities also set records. Phoenix had its latest 100°F day of the year on record on Oct. 27, four days later than the previous record, which was set in 2003. On the other end of the country, the mercury has failed to dip below 36°F in Minneapolis in October. It’s unlikely to happen by Nov. 1 either, which would break a longstanding record for the latest sub-35°F set in 1931.

It isn’t even October that’s been weirdly warm. The entire year has been a hot one for the U.S. and the world as a whole.