Fall Preview: Who Could See Lows In The 40s

A refreshing shot of cooler air is set to dive into the U.S. later this weekend and into next week, delivering some of the coolest temperatures of the season for millions across the country.

Who’s ready for hoodies and pumpkin everything? Folks in the Midwest, Plains, and even parts of the South will get their first taste of crisp, fall-like air in the coming days.

The Weather Setup

A slow-moving cold front will work its way through the northern and central U.S. the next few days. As it pushes southward and encounters the warm, humid air currently in place, showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop along the frontal boundary.

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A few of these storms could become strong to severe, but we're not expecting an outbreak of severe weather, by any stretch.

The August Chill

Behind the front, cooler, drier air will sweep across a large portion of the country. Temperatures are expected to run up to 25 degrees below average from the Plains to the Midwest — and even reach into parts of the South.

Sunday: Expect highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s across parts of the upper Midwest. Duluth will see a cool 61 degrees, while Chicago will enjoy a comfortable day around 75.

Monday: The cool air pushes farther south. Highs in the 60s and-70s will be widespread across the Plains, Midwest, Ohio Valley, and also into parts of the interior Northeast.

Cleveland is not expected to leave the 70s.

Showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rain may also help hold down temperatures in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Tuesday: How about a day near 70 in Oklahoma City? After heat indices near 110 earlier this week, that’s a welcome relief.

The Missouri Valley could see low temperatures approaching daily records, including Omaha (51 degrees) and Kansas City (54 degrees). Lows in the 40s could be numerous in the Midwest.

Even parts of the Southeast will feel a break from the brutal August heat.

Highs in Little Rock, Arkansas, may dip into the mid-70s, while cities like Nashville, Tennessee, could see temps in the lower 80s — not exactly sweater weather, but certainly a welcome reprieve from the dog days of summer.

How Long Could It Last?

Long-range outlooks suggest this general cooler pattern could hold through this last week of August, but possibly beyond Labor Day from the central Plains to much of the Midwest and East.

This kind of late August cool-down doesn’t come around often. If you can, open the windows, head outside, and enjoy the fresh air. It may not last long, but hopefully this little taste of fall will be a welcome treat for millions.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.