A heat explosion from the Gulf of Mexico will push temperatures to double the seasonal norm as weather maps turn from blue to searing crimson.
The US is about to roast in a freak winter heatwave as a plume of sweltering air surges up from the tropics.
Thermometers in southern states will smash 70F this week while Minneapolis, normally around 20F, will nudge 50F.
Western regions will also see ‘way above-average temperatures’ through the coming days, according to weather experts.
Hot air surges in from the Gulf of Mexico
The Weather Channel
Weather Channel meteorologist Kait Parker said: “A ridge of high pressure is building into the west which means there is some warmth on the way.
“That ridging is going to allow those temperatures to soar in some spots by the middle of the week, and we are going to be looking at way above-average temperatures.”
A plume of air from the south will bring a ‘tremendous change’ from the post-Christmas snow and ice, she said.
Unusually hot weather will hold out for the next couple of days, sweeping from the west towards eastern states, she added.
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High pressure to the south, low pressure to the west
WX charts
She said: “As we head farther to the east, Minneapolis, which on average at this time of year is in the low- to mid-20Fs, is going to be in the 40Fs.
“That is a tremendous change, and that warmth continues right on through Wednesday and Thursday for a majority of these spots.”
High pressure pushing in from the south of the United States will bring a plume of warmth into the country.
Temperatures this week will hit 61F in New Mexico, 73F in Texas, 63F in Colorado, and 66F in Louisiana.
Further north, highs of 55F are forecast in Nebraska, 57F in Illinois, 61F in Montana, and to the west, California will hit 63F, Oregon 66F and Idaho 59F.
Temperatures rocket
The Weather Channel
Heat-lovers should make the most of the warmth, though, with temperatures set to dip by the weekend.
Jim Dale, US weather correspondent and meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “Warmth and humidity are going to come up from the Gulf of Mexico, and will bring some unusually high temperatures through the middle of the week.
“It will largely be southern states that see the warmth, but there is likely to be a change by the weekend.”
However, while swaths of the country enjoy an early burst of warmth, the northwest will battle a barrage of storms.
A conveyor belt of low-pressure systems heading in from the Pacific will bring heavy rain to coastal states.
It will be driven by ‘atmospheric rivers’ of moisture which laden with rain, have offloaded heavy downpours since the weekend.
A Weather Channel spokesman said: “A storm pulling in an atmospheric river of moisture will arrive on the West Coast Wednesday.
“This system will bring a soaking to California, which could trigger some flooding and landslides.
“Another system could arrive by late in the weekend, but details are uncertain.”