After record-challenging chill this week, temperatures could rebound to their highest level of the summer so far in parts of the North Central states next week.

A forecast shift in the jet stream will set into motion a marked temperature turnaround this weekend into next week over portions of the northern Plains and Midwest. The jet stream is a river of high-speed winds high above the ground that guides storms and air masses along.
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Bits and pieces of the heat that has built up in the Northwest will break off and drift into the Midwest.

According to AccuWeather Long Range Expert Paul Pastelok, "Rounds of heat and humidity will continue to surge in ahead of cool fronts from the northern Plains to the Midwest through the end of July."

The heat could carry more impact than a typical summer. Many areas over the Upper Midwest have only had a couple of days near 90 F so far this summer.

The highest the temperature have been thus far this summer has been 88 in Indianapolis, 90 in Minneapolis and 91 in Chicago.

"High temperatures will approach 90 F from portions of North Dakota to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio during multiple days next week," Pastelok said.

When compared to lows in the 40s and 50s in much of this area this week, temperatures will be 30 to 40 degrees higher during the afternoons next week.
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Despite the forecast rebound, temperatures are likely to stop short or record highs in many areas, which happen to be well into the 90s and even above 100 in some cases. This is typically the hottest part of the summer.

A potential suppressor of heat will be complexes of thunderstorms that erupt from southern Canada to the Great Lakes region. In areas where these storms roll through during or the morning or midday hours, it may be enough to keep 90-degree weather away on some days.

In a pattern such as expected next week, the complexes of storms have the potential to cover a great deal of ground and be severe in some communities.

Meanwhile, in the South and East, warmth and humidity will build this weekend into next week, as the atmospheric see-saw will try to balance out.

According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "While a southward dip in the jet stream will remain in the eastern third of the nation next week, it will not be as nearly pronounced as that of later this week."

The end result will not only be fairly typical mid- to late-July heat and humidity but also almost daily rounds of popup showers and thunderstorms east of the Mississippi River.

Most of these random storms will occur during the afternoon and evening hours.