Heat could break records and temps climb into mid-90s

A weather map produced by the National Weather Service, with arrows added by SmithtownRadio.com, shows the cause of our record high temperatures.

Smithtown, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – Much of the New York City tri-state area broke high temperature records Wednesday as temperatures climbed into the 90s for the first day of summer. Despite being two degrees short of a record Wednesday in Smithtown, forecasted highs for Thursday tell a different story: record breaking heat possible for high school graduations across the greater-Smithtown area.

Forecasters expect Thursday’s high to reach 94 degrees at Islip MacArthur Airport, the official National Weather Service observation station for the Smithtown area. If temperatures meet or exceed the forecasted temperatures they’ll replace the current record: 93 degrees set in 1988.

The early summer heat started Wednesday when temperatures topped 91 in Islip, two degrees below that day’s record. Temperatures for this time of year average around 80 degrees. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 90s through Friday when they will drop back down to seasonal highs for the weekend.

Hyper-local Weather: SmithtownRadio.com Weather Center

Forecasters say the cause of the heat is a high pressure system near the mid-Atlantic that is pulling up heat from the south. Oddly enough though, Wednesday’s high temperatures across New England and much of the northeast were warmer than places like Atlanta and Miami.