As temperatures remain high, autumn feels like it’s summer

The Valley could see record high temperatures Saturday and Sunday.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Hot-ober!

It’s been unseasonably warm in the Mahoning Valley for the first four days of October.

Thursday’s high of 83 degrees was only two degrees lower than the local record for an Oct. 4, which occurred in 1951, according to the National Weather Service.

No record high temperatures for the area were recorded so far this month. But the highs for Monday and Tuesday were 10 degrees higher than average for Oct. 1 and 2; and 9 degrees more than average for Oct. 3 on Wednesday. Thursday’s high of 83 was 17 degrees higher than average for an Oct. 4.

It will be in the mid-80s from today through Monday, said Mike Dutter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland. There’s a possibility of breaking the high-temperature records for Oct. 6 and/or 7, he said.

“We might get close on the weekend,” Dutter said.

The area’s record high for an Oct. 6 is 86 degrees and 85 degrees for an Oct. 7.

It feels more like summer than early October.

What’s causing this

Strong high pressure off the Atlantic Coast is allowing warm and moist air to move north from the Gulf Coast creating the summerlike temperatures, he said.

The warm weather will be around for at least the next seven to 10 days, Dutter said.

The high temperatures will be in the mid-70s early next week and then drop to the mid-60s.

“It’s unusual weather for this time of the year,” Dutter said. “It’s not unprecedented, but it’s unusual.”

During the first four days of October, the average high temperature is 66.5 degrees. During the first four days of this October, the average high temperature was 78 degrees.

The average high temperature for October in the Valley drops as the days pass, getting down to 55 degrees on the last day of the month. The average high temperature for the month in the Valley is 60.7 degrees.

skolnick@vindy.com