© AccuWeather
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 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.
Comment: All-time high temperature records have also been smashed in northern France and Germany this week. See also:
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