The last full day of spring will feel more like deep summer across much of the eastern half of the country.
Parts of the Midwest have been sweltering for days, and temperatures across the Northeast are expected to reach the mid- to upper-90s on Wednesday, just as they did in parts of the region on Tuesday. Humidity will make the air feel even hotter, and nighttime temperatures are expected to remain uncommonly high.
The springtime heat, which will linger through at least the weekend in part of the region, has already caught some cities off guard. Chicago was forced to open cooling centers earlier in the year than usual. And in New York City, the public pools are not open yet.
Inland New England and upstate New York began to swelter this week even before cities closer to the coast. In Rochester, N.Y., the heat index — an indication of how the air feels, accounting for humidity — soared higher on Tuesday than in San Antonio or St. Petersburg, Fla.
