A sharp drop in temperature will have it feeling more like late November than late May in part of the Northeast following a spell of record-setting heat.
ByBill Deger, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published May 21, 2026 1:43 PM CDT|Updated May 22, 2026 7:24 AM CDT
After dealing with summerlike temperatures for the beginning of the week, cooler weather will follow for the Northeast heading into Memorial Day weekend with parts of the mid-Atlantic getting rain.
The Northeast has been dealing with a serious case of weather whiplash over the last few weeks, with temperatures wildly swinging between record highs and lows. The ride will last through the weekend, with temperatures more typical of November replacing recent summerlike heat, sayAccuWeathermeteorologists.
"The seemingly endless temperature roller coaster this spring will continue through theMemorial Day holidaywith another sharp cooldown across the northeastern quarter of the nation," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
High temperatures in the 90s as recently as Wednesday along the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic states were replaced by 50s and 60s by Thursday afternoon with that cool air likely to have staying power and even intensify over the next several days.
InPhiladelphia, following the season's first heat wave and a 98-degree day Tuesday, which was the highest reading ever recorded in May, the mercury was slated to be stuck in the 50s all day Saturday, with anAccuWeather RealFeel® Temperaturein the 40s due to the expected rain and wind. These conditions are more typical of Thanksgiving than Memorial Day weekend.
Recently,State College, Pennsylvania, has gone from a 49-degree high temperature on May 14, an all-time low for the date, to a near-record 90 degrees four days later on May 18. This Saturday, a forecast high of 48 would be the lowest ever recorded on that day by 3 degrees with conditions more typical of late November.
Reliable records have been kept in Philadelphia since 1872 and in State College since 1893.
Source: Drudge Report
