Pet safety tips you need to know this summer
Hot weather can be dangerous for pets. These tips will help keep your furry friend cool and safe.
Severe temperature swings have been common across the Midwest and Northeast this spring, and forecasts for the next week or so indicate that trend will continue.
First, cooler weather will spread from Minnesota to Massachusetts and everywhere in between on May 11 and 12, according to AccuWeather.
“For those in parts of the Midwest and interior Northeast who are itching to get out in the garden and grow some plants in the ground, a wave of cold air moving south from Canada into the middle of this week could put those plans on hold,” AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said in an email to USA TODAY.
But warmth is on the way. Forecasters said whiplash weather will occur later this week and into the weekend as many parts of the east soon bid farewell to the cool days of May and give way to summer-like heat.
While the East will be shivering for much of the week, a heatwave is expected in the West with well-above-average or record-breaking temperatures, with highs in the 110s in the valleys of Southern California and Arizona.
Freezing then warm east
More than 1 million people in parts of the East were under frost and freeze warnings as of Tuesday morning, May 12, according to the National Weather Service.
By Tuesday morning, the coldest temperatures are expected from the eastern Great Lakes, interior Northeast and Catskills to West Virginia, according to AccuWeather.
“If the winds are weak enough, even near the suburbs of some large cities like Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, there will be a risk of damaging frost,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bill Degar said in an online forecast.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh had some good news for warm-weather lovers during an online forecast discussion. “The Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the rest of May favors warm conditions, with no other frosty mornings in the current forecast.”
In fact, much of the second half of the month will feel like late spring, if not warmer, according to AccuWeather’s long-range forecast team.
“Dangerous” Western fever
A heat wave in the West will reach record heights this week, with some of that heat spreading to the plains later this week, according to online forecasts from Weather.com.
AccuWeather said daytime highs of 90 to 100 degrees are common in many areas, with some areas reaching a “dangerous” 110 degrees. Temperatures in Phoenix and Palm Springs, California, are expected to reach the 110s for the first time this year, according to AccuWeather.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix warned, “Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat. Overexposure can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion, which, without intervention, can lead to heat stroke.”
AccuWeather meteorologist Elizabeth Danko said in an online forecast that early season heat is especially dangerous because many people are not yet accustomed to these temperatures, so people are urged to practice heat protection.
“Staying hydrated, wearing light-colored clothing, and taking breaks in the shade are some ways to stay safe in the heat,” Danko says.
Weather.com meteorologist Rob Shackelford said the heat could spread across the central United States by the end of next week, with temperatures as high as 90 degrees possible in the south-central Plains and parts of the country as far north as Nebraska.
“Omaha, Kansas City and Wichita could set new daily record highs,” he said.
severe weather forecast
Although no major severe weather events are expected this week, forecasters said several severe storms could develop across the Southeast and Midwest.
Isolated severe storms with locally damaging wind gusts and hail are possible from the Carolina coast to the Florida Peninsula and along the central Gulf Coast on Monday afternoon, May 11, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Isolated severe storms with strong wind gusts and hail are possible in the Plains and Midwest by Tuesday, May 12, according to the SPC.
And on Wednesday, May 13, the SPC said, “Isolated severe storms are possible in the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians on Wednesday.”
