Summer heat safety tips every dog owner should know
Hot weather is dangerous for dogs. These summer safety tips will help keep your pup cool, comfortable, and protected when outdoors.
After a chilly start to May, forecasters say weather patterns are finally starting to turn toward summer in much of the Midwest and Northeast over the next few days.
A sudden increase in warmth and humidity is expected to bring summer-like weather to parts of the Midwest and East, with temperatures in the 80s and near 90 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
Some regions, including the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, could see their warmest temperatures so far this year early next week.
However, we are not yet in a ‘forever’ switch to summer, as a cold front is expected to pass through on Wednesday, May 20th, bringing relief from the heat in many areas.
How hot will it get?
“For I-95 cities like Baltimore, New York City, New Haven, Providence, and Boston, unless the heat can overcome overland flows (which we don’t expect), these locations are not necessarily expected to experience a heat wave, and temperatures on Monday (May 18) are close to historical averages,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Royse said in an email to USA TODAY.
However, “temperatures will attempt to warm into the upper 80s to low 90s in many of these locations through Tuesday (May 19) and Wednesday (May 20).”
roller coaster weather pattern
How long will the heat last? Lloyds said many regions, including the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, will likely continue to experience a roller coaster of weather over the next week, with cooler weather likely. “We expect temperatures to remain close to, and perhaps slightly below, historical averages (although they won’t be anything like what we experienced later in the spring),” he said.
According to Lloyds, “Although the heat continues in the Plains region, we cannot say that the summer heat has completely subsided. We expect the heat to subside to some extent as we enter June.”
“For the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley, and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the period when the summer heat really dominates the weather pattern won’t really arrive until later in the summer season,” he said.
Humidity is also rising.
In addition to the temperature, humidity will also rise over the next few days. “We’ve had several warm spells in the Northeast so far this spring, but we’ve had very low humidity, so we’ll see dew points in the 60s pretty noticeable early next week,” Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather’s vice president of forecast operations, said in an online forecast.
Dew point is the temperature at which the air becomes saturated. Higher numbers (usually in the 60s and 70s) indicate more pronounced and potentially uncomfortable humidity.
be careful with water
Temperatures will warm up over the next few days, but the water will still be very cold, experts warn. The National Weather Service in New York warned: “Water temperatures hovering in the low 50s this weekend, raising concerns about the safety of cold water. The cold water temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia and disability for those suddenly immersed in the water.”
“Those traveling in small boats, canoes and kayaks should plan accordingly and use extreme caution to avoid this threat,” the weather bureau said.
Frost mainly occurs until autumn
So, are the frost advisories and freeze warnings over in the East? “For the Ohio Valley and most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic valleys, we don’t necessarily expect any frost in the future,” Lloyds told USA TODAY. “However, we cannot completely rule out that possibility over the coming weeks in some high-elevation areas, particularly in northern New England and the upper Great Lakes region.”
Memorial Day Weekend Weather Forecast
After a cold front moves through midweek, the heat will return heading into Memorial Day weekend. Temperatures, at least from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic, will be near levels above historical averages, Lloyds said.
“But for the Northeast, we don’t have much confidence in above-average temperatures,” he says. “The Northeast is expected to be in a transition period over the Memorial Day weekend, with some areas expected to be above historical averages and others closer to late May expectations.”
Which regions are expected to experience hot summers?
According to AccuWeather, a hot summer is expected for most of the continental United States in 2026, with very few areas expected to experience temperatures below historical averages this season.
The worst of the heat will be concentrated in parts of California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, increasing the threat of widespread wildfires.
The heat is not limited to the West. AccuWeather predicts the number of 90-degree days will be near or above historical averages in Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia.
