Here’s Who’s About To See A Big Change

Record heat is forecast for the mid-Atlantic and Southeast this week, with summerlike temperatures soaring into the 80s and even 90s in places like Washington and Atlanta by mid-week.

This surge of summerlike heat will build day by day, putting hundreds of daily record highs in jeopardy, as well as a few monthly records.

So keep those warm-weather clothes out for a while as highs will run as much as 20 to 30 degrees above average for mid-April through at least late-week.

The 'Hot' Forecast

If you had thoughts about the weather on Wednesday, keep them around because Thursday will likely be similar across the South. Add a few degrees to the highs, and you get the forecast for Friday afternoon in many spots.

(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast US Highs/Lows)

These are the first 90 degree days of 2026 in many locations, including Atlanta, Raleigh, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Dozens of records could fall across the Southeast multiple days in a row, until at least Saturday.

This includes places like Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, Augusta and Charlotte.

Atlanta could flirt with 90 degrees by Friday and is expected to tie or set daily high records through Saturday. The city has only seen 4 days at or above 90 degrees in the month of April in history. It would be the first since 1986 and the earliest 90 degree day on record.

The Northeast Will Sizzle Too

The heat has arrived in the Northeast and will peak for many on Thursday.

Record highs are possible on Thursday, especially in the mid-Atlantic, in cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond.

Just like in typical spring fashion, there is an end in sight. Temperatures will then cool sharply in most areas by Sunday behind a strong cold front.

Records So Far

Wednesday brought numerous daily high temperature records were tied or broken across the Eastern U.S. in over 40 locations.

Georgetown, Delaware, had its record earliest-in-spring 90-degree high on record, eclipsing the previous record from 2002 by two days.

Though it wasn't record early, Philadelphia (91 degrees) hadn't hit the 90s this early in April since 1977.

Other daily records Wednesday were tied or set in Richmond, Virginia (93), Raleigh, North Carolina (92), Columbia, South Carolina (92), Baltimore, Maryland (91), Washington D.C. (90), New York City (90) and Newark, New Jersey, (90).

Tuesday saw daily high temperature records broken in Delaware and New Jersey. Georgetown and Wilmington, Delaware, both say highs of 87 degrees, which broke daily records, while Atlantic City, New Jersey, broke a daily record with a high of 88.

Lincoln, Nebraska, reached 90 degrees on Monday and Conordia, Kansas, hit 91. These were both daily records.

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.