Is fall weather here to stay in the East?

AccuWeather reports chilly air invaded the eastern half of the nation this past weekend, sending temperatures plummeting to readings typically seen in mid-October.

This fall-like weather is expected to continue through much of this week as reinforcing shots of cool air invade the Great Lakes, Northeast, and mid-Atlantic.

Locations from Chicago, Illinois to Detroit Michigan, farther east to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York will continue to see below-average temperatures through the majority of the week.

Many folks in these areas will continue to feel temperatures that are 10 to 15 degrees below normal through the middle of the week.

High temperatures in Chicago will struggle to get out of the 60s over the next several days. The normal temperature for this time of the year is in the mid 70s.

Cities in the I-95 corridor, including Washington D.C.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City, New York; and Boston, Massachusetts, will also continue to run cooler than normal, but the chill won’t be as strong. This will set the stage for several days of pleasant temperatures.

Jackets, sweatshirts, and pants will continue to replace tank tops, t-shirts, and shorts, especially across the Great Lakes.

The cool weather could help set the stage for vibrant fall foliage in October.

Temperatures may be heading up for the weekend as a disturbance cuts across the Great Lakes.

“Warming to above-normal temperatures is possible next week as we enter fall,” said AccuWeather.com Senior Long Range Meteorologist Jack Boston.

Another warm-up is possible in early October as well. “There may be a brief cool shot late this month but we may see another milder spell in early October,” said Boston.

Some areas will be waking up to a freeze or patches of frost Monday morning. Because of this, some folks could experience an Indian Summer.

“Any place that has already had their first frost, such as parts of upstate New York, interior New England, and northwestern Pennsylvania, could see an Indian Summer,” added Boston.

Story by Jordan Root, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com