What happened to fall? More heat records set Wednesday

What happened to fall? Wednesday was another day of record heat across much of the central and eastern U.S., as temperatures soared into the 80s as far north as New England.

Record highs were set Wednesday in cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, Baltimore, Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh, N.C., the National Weather Service reported, some breaking decades-old measurements.

The cause of the heat is a strong area of high pressure over the Southeast, which is helping funnel very warm air northward, AccuWeather meteorologist Andy Mussoline said.

Even though it's from a separate weather pattern across the country, southern California is even getting in on the heat parade, with temperatures in the 90s and 100s forecast for the next few days, along with dry Santa Ana winds that could spark wildfires.

For folks in the East yearning for crisp fall weather, a dramatic "reality check" of cooler temperatures is expected by the end of the week and the weekend, the weather service said. After another warm day Thursday, a cold front moving in Friday will finally usher a cooler Canadian air mass into the central and eastern U.S.

Rain showers and gusty winds will accompany the cooler temperatures, AccuWeather said. The heaviest rain will fall in western Pennsylvania and upstate New York, while some needed showers will also fall in New England, much of which remains in a drought.

By the weekend, high temperatures for the East Coast will even be a bit cooler than average, only in the mid-50s in some areas.

That will be a drastic change from the past few days after more than 250 record temperatures were set across 34 states since Saturday, according to the Weather Channel. That includes both record warm afternoon temperatures and record warm nights.

On Monday, Dodge City, Kan., rose all the way to 101 degrees, setting a new record high for the entire month of October, the weather service reported. It was the hottest October day there since records began in 1875 during the Grant Administration.

On Sunday, the tiny community of Slapout, Okla., (population: 8) hit 102 degrees, making it the hottest temperature so late in the season for the entire state of Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Climate Survey.

Can we call this Indian Summer? 

There are many theories as to how the term "Indian summer" came into existence. The official definition from the American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Weather and Climate states "an Indian summer is a time interval in mid- or late autumn of unseasonably warm weather, generally with clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights."

In New England, according to the glossary, at least one killing frost and preferably a period of normally cool weather must precede this warm spell in order for it to be considered a true "Indian summer."

The term is most often heard in the Northeast, but other English-speaking countries also refer to it. It dates back at least to 1778, the glossary notes, but its origin is not certain; most likely it's the way American Indians used this extra opportunity to increase their winter stores.

So far this year, the U.S. is sweltering through its second-warmest year on record, the National Centers for Environmental Information said. Only 2012 was warmer.