Northeastern United States will experience a mixture of extreme cold and warm temperatures this week, as per the forecast of meteorologists.
The phenomenon highlights the weather fluctuations in the region, bringing potential hazards in the Northeast as temperatures are expected to increase and travel may be disrupted when temperatures decrease.
Forecast of Week-Long Weather Fluctuations
The northeast experienced a series of winter storms from January until early February, resulting in widespread travel disruption with thousands of canceled flights and infrastructural damage that left hundreds of thousands without electricity.
Meteorologists, on Monday, Feb. 14, have issued a weather forecast saying that the northeast will likely experience a combination of winter conditions due to extremely cold temperatures and extreme heat throughout the week, according to AccuWeather.
The experts further said that the area may experience snow and flooding due to rainfall during cold temperatures, ranging approximately at -6 degrees Celsius (20 degrees Fahrenheit) in the early week, as per the forecast.
The cold temperature will most likely affect the cities of Boston, Detroit, and New York City during this time.
Afterward, the icy conditions will be replaced by a warmer air mass as the latter shifts from the Great Plains to the East Coast in the middle of the week.
In addition, temperatures are expected to increase from Wednesday to Thursday, Feb. 16 to Feb. 17, affecting central Pennsylvania and New York.
Meteorologists estimate extreme heat may range between 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) and at least 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the New England region.
Also read: Meteorologists Issue Storm Alert for Thunderstorms and Tornadoes to Central US from Midweek
Incoming Large-Scale Storm
The extremely warm weather in the northeast is estimated to be short-lived from Thursday night due to an incoming potential large-scale storm, which will likely evolve from a storm system into a multi-hazard storm.
On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) issued a weather alert for a potentially large-scale and cross-country level storm, affecting not only Southern US and Central US, but also Eastern US from midweek.
The NOAA - NWS issued the alert for thunderstorms and tornadoes associated with the storm.
In addition, the alert shows that the storm may bring a combination of flooding due to torrential rain and heavy snowfall.
Shifting Climate and Extreme Weather in the US
The weather fluctuations of extreme cold and heat in the US to be witnessed this week are likely a result of the shifting climate in the US, as its current season, from December to March, is drawing near.
Most locations across the US have a temperate climate in general.
These climate variations can be summed up with the wet Northwest US, dried Central states, and relatively wet Southeast areas.
However, the US experienced a series of extreme weather occurrences over recent years.
According to the New York Times, all-time temperature records of an extreme heatwave and cold temperatures were reported across the US in 2021; the highest since 1994.
Related article: Dangerous Heatwave Affects Southwest US as Temperature Exceeds 120F in Some Region