Fall is now officially ice cream season.

Fall is now officially ice cream season. (Photo: Ruth Hartnup/Flickr)

If you hear someone groaning “this is the hottest day ever” today, they may be correct—within certain parameters. As the weather ignores the calendar, and large swaths of the United States continue to languish in the high 80s and low 90s, meteorologists say quite a few daily high temperature records are set to fall this week.

Yesterday, record temps for September 7th blistered Newark, New Jersey (which hit 94 degrees), while Hartford, Connecticut and Burlington, Vermont tied their previous highs, at 93 and 94 degrees respectively. Today, hypothetical thermometers threaten to burst in New York City, Albany, Boston, Providence, and Baltimore. Each will have to top out in the mid 90s to beat previous September 8th records—NYC’s has stood at 93 degrees since 1919. 

Meanwhile, across the country, highs are rising “5-20 degrees above average,” pushing some California cities into triple digits, and putting the fear of God into their benchmarks, too.

Experts promise this stovescape is indeed fleeting—the jet stream, a set of high-atmosphere winds that cool the earth down like a giant mobile ceiling fan, is heading back onshore later in the week, bringing saner temperatures with it. In the meantime, if the mercury creeps high enough and there’s no champagne on hand, consider cracking open a fire hydrant. 

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.