October is set to be much warmer than usual for large parts of the country, with forecasts predicting temperatures to soar well above seasonal averages.
Why It Matters
The warm weather is driven in part by a marine heat wave in the North Pacific Ocean, which is part of a broader trend of extreme and unpredictable weather that scientists link to climate change.
What To Know
Unusually warm temperatures for this time of year are predicted across parts of the Central and Southern United States from October 8 to 12, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) temperature outlook.
Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are among the states most likely to be affected, with NOAA projecting a 60 to 80 percent chance of above-normal temperatures in the area.
Most of the country is predicted to experience temperatures that lean above or are likely to be above normal, according to NOAA’s predictions.
Some pockets of the country are expected to have “near normal” temperatures. These include parts of California and Nevada, and most states in the Northeast, with the exception of part of Maine.
Several cities like Minneapolis and Chicago may face record-high temperatures for this time of year in the coming days, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Through the middle of next week, temperatures are expected to exceed 80 degrees in 46 states, with 24 states seeing temperatures climb to 90 or above, according to data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
These temperatures are being driven, in part, by a record-breaking marine heatwave in the North Pacific, which is sometimes referred to as “The Blob.” This unusually warm patch of ocean water is affecting the jet stream, pushing it north and causing unusually hot air to spread across much of the country.
What People Are Saying
Chris Free, a marine scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told Mongabay earlier this week: “The extent of the current Pacific marine heatwave should be surprising … but unfortunately, record breaking heat is our new norm.”
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center wrote on X on September 30: “October will be coming in hot as high pressure builds into the Plains and northern tier of the country. High temperatures in the upper 80s to even low 90s will be likely this week.”