Talk about a tale of two extremes across the country, with temperatures well below normal in the East and triple-digit temperatures bringing temps well above normal in the Southwest.
Seasonal whiplash will be felt over a large portion of the country, going from near-record highs to near-record lows in just a matter of a few days.
We could likely see record-breaking heat on Thursday in the Southwest.
Around 25 million people are under some sort of heat watch, warning or advisory in the Southwest, including in Phoenix and Los Angeles.
An excessive heat warning means that a period of scorching temperatures, even by local standards, will occur.
Phoenix will reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, with triple-digit temperatures lasting through at least Monday, making for a sizzling Mother’s Day weekend.
Near-record heat is expected in Los Angeles, where downtown is expected to reach the mid-90s the next few days. Death Valley could top 110 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend.
On the flip side, the East will be feeling the chill, in a big way.
“A strong push of cold air from Friday into Saturday will reinforce the cold air and bring conditions more like February as opposed to May,” CNN Meteorologist Dave Hennen said.
Dozens of records for the lowest high temperatures could be broken over the next few days.
Detroit, Indianapolis and Louisville could all potentially break records early Saturday morning, with low temperatures in the upper-20s to low 30s.
Snow will likely fall over portions of the Great Lakes into interior sections of the Northeast from Friday into Saturday, where some accumulation is likely.
Temperatures in the Northeast will fall into the low to mid-30s on Saturday morning.
Cities like Pittsburgh could set a record.
Atlanta is even expected to drop. A low of 42 degrees Fahrenheit in Atlanta in May has a less than 1% occurrence, according to CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.
Since 1974, Atlanta has only had a low of 42 degrees Fahrenheit or lower two other times.
The possible record low high temperatures will stretch as far south as Florida by Sunday.
