Heat wave peaks in eastern US, severe weather moves into Ohio Valley
The worst of the heat and humidity in the Northeast ends Wednesday.
The heat wave that has embroiled the Northeast for the past three days will peak Wednesday, with some relief finally in the offing by Friday.
Thirteen states from Maine to Virginia were under heat warnings or advisories Wednesday.
Temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-90s but, with high humidity, it will feel like it's close to, or over, 100 degrees for all the major cities in the Northeast.
Record highs are possible Wednesday in the Northeast: Boston is forecast to reach 97 degrees (record: 96), New York City is forecast to reach 94 (record: 99), Philadelphia is forecast to reach 95 (record: 98) and Washington, D.C., could approach 96 (record: 98).
The heat wave will begin to subside starting Thursday and really end Friday as temperatures drop into the 70s from New York City to Boston and into the 80s in Washington, D.C.
Severe weather moves east
The cold front responsible for 135 damaging storm reports, over a foot of rain in Wisconsin and 100,000 customers without power in western Michigan is moving southeast Wednesday. Strong to severe storms are possible along with the front from New England and northern New York state down to Ohio Valley and the mid-Mississippi Valley.
The biggest threat will be damaging winds, heavy rain and an isolated threat for a funnel cloud in northern New York.
Strong storms will clear out of the Northeast by Thursday afternoon and evening, but thunderstorms will continue from Virginia into Tennessee.