Mid-October will bring some cold days for folks in the Midwest and Northeast, forecasters said.
How cold? Actual highs will be in the 30s and 40s over the northern parts of the Appalachians and may struggle to rebound into the 50s in much of the Midwest and the coastal Northeast in the afternoon, AccuWeather said. Wind chills will only add to the cold conditions.
Weekend lows will be even colder, with widespread frost and freeze warnings likely, the National Weather Service said.
Following a chilly weekend, easterners' weather attention will turn to a coastal storm next week, one that could become either a nor'easter or even a tropical storm.
Cold weekend ahead
Saturday, Oct. 17, is likely to be the coldest day in months for millions, with the combination of wind,
temperature and other conditions producing downright winterlike temperatures in the Great Lakes and Northeast, according to AccuWeather.
"Wind gusts will average 25-40 mph," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said in an online forecast. "Winds will be strong enough to send leaves, as well as unsecured trash cans, recycling bins and Halloween decorations flying through neighborhoods."
Colder air wrapping around the system is also forecast to support a transition to wet snow across portions of the lower Great Lakes and higher elevations of the Northeast on Oct. 17, according to the weather service.
Then overnight, frost and freeze concerns will expand into portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the weather service said.
Forecasters eye storm off East Coast
The storm that's forecast for next week could be tropical or non-tropical in nature, forecasters said.
What forecasters do know is that a coastal low is expected to develop off the Carolina coast later this weekend and early next week.
"Several of our computer models are showing low pressure development along a stalled front off the Carolinas next week," said WPLG-TV hurricane specialist Michael Lowry in his Substack, Eye on the Tropics. "It’s a decent enough signal in both of our top-performing forecast systems to merit a trend watch for next week, especially for interests in the coastal Carolinas."
University of Miami meteorologist Andy Hazelton agreed, writing on X on Oct. 15 that "models are still hinting at a coastal storm off the East Coast next week. There's a lot of spread in how close it'll get to the coast, and how strong it might be."
The current trends suggest more rain and winds along portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts through the week, NOAA's Weather Prediction Center said. High wind hazards are currently likely from the North Carolina coast up to the Delaware coast, the WPC said.
"If a storm forms, rain, wind, rough seas and higher-than-normal tides could spread northward along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts later next week," according to AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
Could it be Josephine?
The storm is forecast to form along a stalled cold front, forecasters said. "Warm Gulf Stream waters nearby could help it develop tropical or subtropical characteristics," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva said.
"I do think there's a non-zero chance a system could become subtropical and get a name if it's able to sit over the warm water for long enough and generate some sustained central convection," Hazelton said on X. Regardless of any development, he said strong northeast winds will likely cause some coastal flooding issues for parts of the coast.
Although the chance of tropical development remains low, the timing for such development would be from Monday (Oct. 19) to Thursday (Oct. 22) of the new week, AccuWeather predicts.
If the storm gets a name, it would be called Josephine.
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weather forecast could have an October surprise for East Coast
