After a record-breaking warm day on Tuesday — Philly hit 84 degrees, breaking the old record of 83 degrees in 1920 — another warm day is in store on Wednesday with a high near 80. You’ll also notice a gusty breeze pick up in the afternoon ahead of an advancing cold front.
The change in temps will occur on Thursday as that cold front passes through and knocks the temperatures back to the low and mid-60s through Saturday. That’s nearly a 20-degree drop from Wednesday’s high in the low 80s. The cold front will be dry, however, offering no end to the rainless streak of 24 days (so far). A gusty northwest breeze behind the front will also contribute to enhanced fire danger as winds can cause flames to spread rapidly.
There is another weak front that will cross the area on Saturday, which will bring even cooler air for Sunday. If that front produces measurable rain at Philadelphia International Airport, our dry streak will end. Otherwise, next Sunday we will tie the longest dry streak in Philadelphia history, and on Monday the 28th, we’d break that record. The current streak is 29 days, which was set 150 years ago in the fall of 1874. The odds are good that it will be broken.