Fall-like air breaks record lows from early 1900s in parts of southern US
By Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist

The storm system that triggered severe thunderstorms in parts of the Carolinas on Tuesday signaled the end to the prolonged stretch of stifling heat and humidity that has been baking the Southeast.

An unusually strong cold front, by late July standards, pushed through much of the Southern states and triggered severe weather on Tuesday. North Carolina was hit the hardest by Tuesday’s storms, with nearly two dozen reports of wind damage across the state.

The passage of this front has brought lower temperature and humidity levels to much of the region which will linger through much of this week.

A recently installed weather station run by Virginia Tech Meteorology showed a low temperature of 38 F in Canaan Valley, West Virginia Wednesday morning. The station is situated at an elevation of 3,105 feet.

High temperatures, with the exception of the Florida Peninsula, should generally be in the 80s through Friday, and comfortable humidity levels should cap AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to around 90 F.

Nighttime low temperatures, especially away from coastal locations, are forecast to trend into the 50s and 60s, which will challenge or even break records.

“Some cities in the Southern states that may challenge record lows include Little Rock, Arkansas, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Antonio and Nashville, Tennessee,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

“In some cases, it hasn’t been this cool at night during this part of the summer in more than 100 years.”

As the week progresses, these cities and others will challenge daily record lows.

During Thursday morning, the temperature came within 1 degree of the record low of 64 in San Antonio. At Dallas the temperature came within 2 degrees of the record low of 65 set in 1915. The existing record was set in 1911.

However, a new record low for July 25 was established at Victoria, Texas, with a low of 62, breaking the old record of 64 set in 1915. The record low of 70 set in 1976 at Corpus Christi, Texas, was eclipsed by 1 degree. Charlotte, North Carolina, also drifted below the record of 62 set in 1947 with a low of 61 Thursday morning.

On Friday morning, the unseasonably cool air will challenge temperature records that date back to 1904 in Victoria (69 F) and San Antonio (67 F).

The fall-like air mass will create a perfect setting for outdoor activities such as picnics, barbecues, hiking, biking and golfing this week.

In addition, cooling demands will decrease and allow residents to save some money on their electric bill. Some residents may even be able to shut off their air conditioning units completely for a few days.

Abundant sunshine will accompany the pleasant air, so residents should make sure to apply and reapply sunscreen if spending prolonged time outdoors in the sun.