Summer's passed, but temperatures in the nation's capital are expected to reach between 20 and 25 degrees above normal on Wednesday, meaning highs of around 96 degrees Fahrenheit.
And the heat trend is widespread. Well over 100 daily high temperature records will likely fall across a vast portion of the central and eastern U.S. over the coming days.
What's gives?
A pattern of unusual heat in the east and chilly temperatures out West (including a major blizzard) is a well-predicted consequence of a powerful weather system, called the jet stream, that has sliced the nation in half, temperature-wise. Read more...
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