Next week, more mild temperatures are expected across a large part of the United States with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) suggesting that temperatures will lean above normal levels throughout much of nation. In their latest temperature outlook issued for the period of October 19-23, the CPC is forecasting above normal temperatures with higher confidence over the Northern Rockies, the Great Lakes Region, and coastal New England. Below-normal conditions are expected across the western half of Alaska and southern California.

Some people refer to warmer than normal conditions in the fall as “Indian Summer”. Known generally as an unofficial term that describes a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather in the Northern Hemisphere, an Indian Summer could occur anytime between September and November.  Sometimes people only consider it to be an Indian Summer once an area has its first killing frost and freeze first. In the case of this next mild spell, some may meet the loosely defined criteria for the Indian Summer condition.

Before next week’s milder air takes root across the country, the eastern U.S. must be flushed of its mild air that’s there now. An approaching cold front will bring showers, storms, and colder temperatures temporarily to portions of the east coast later this week and early this weekend. But once that front exits the coast, a weather pattern will set-up across much of the continental U.S. that’ll help support milder conditions into the middle of next week.