Winter will loosen its cold grasp on much of America this week as a pattern change brings above-average temperatures for millions and needed relief from the arctic air invasion.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the deadly arctic blast begins its exit on Sunday with temperatures on the rise beginning in the western US.
By Friday, the great American warmup will be complete, with more than 277 million across the US experiencing above-average temperatures.
“We’ve been waiting for the warmer conditions,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. “Here it is next week, all of that cold air gets bottled back up to the north, and we’ll hold on to these nice, steady, warmer temperatures, if you will, for at least a week here on the weekend ahead.”
While calling it “warm” might be a stretch, the temperatures will be a drastic improvement for more than 100 million people who started Sunday with Wind Chill Warnings and those with below-freezing temperatures.
For those in the Midwest and northern Plains, temperatures will rise above freezing by midweek.
It might not seem like a big change, but these areas have seen high temperatures in the teens this past week.
Billings in Montana, Minot in North Dakota and Minneapolis ended the weekend with temperatures at or below zero. By Monday, the high in Minneapolis is forecast to hit 32 degrees.
After starting with a 3-degree low at the end of the weekend, a high of 43 by Wednesday will feel downright refreshing for Kansas City.
The warmer temperatures will slowly increase for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with afternoon highs in the mid-40s and 50s by Wednesday and Thursday.
Pittsburgh starts with a high of 26 degrees on Sunday; by Thursday, the high is forecast to be 54 degrees.
Meanwhile, places across the South will get a taste of springlike temperatures.
Warm air will mean potential record-warm low temperatures across the mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
On Sunday, the high in Jacksonville, Florida, only hit 48 degrees. By Friday, the Bold City of South is back into the lower 80s.
Temperatures in Dallas, Houston and New Orleans will feel toasty compared to last week.
High temperatures in the lower 70s are forecast by Tuesday afternoon.
