U.S. temperatures may remain above normal through weekend

Temperatures are expected to remain warmer than normal across most of the U.S. through the end of the week, according to forecasters.

Temperatures may be at least 3 to 8 degrees above normal from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast, according to Matt Rogers, president of Commodity Weather Group LLC, and MDA EarthSat Weather.

The forecasters agree that the Northeast, including New York, may remain at least 3 degrees above normal until the start of December. The South may be cooler than normal.

“We remain cautious with temperatures and confidence in the 6-15 day as we grapple with divided models,” Rogers said from Bethesda, Maryland. “The best chance to be cooler or colder is in the South.”

Traders use long-range temperature predictions to gauge energy use and market fluctuations. Hot or cold weather can increase demand for heating and cooling. Power plants use about 30 percent of the nation’s gas supplies, according to Energy Department data.

The forecasters rely on a series of computer models to make their weather predictions.

CWG and MDA diverge slightly in their 11- to 15-day outlooks. MDA predicts slightly above-normal temperatures across Canada and the six New England states from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6, with colder weather occurring in the Rocky Mountains.

Rogers agrees Canada may be milder than normal, then shifts the outlook for colder weather south and east from Arizona to Louisiana. He also said New England will be near-normal.

For Nov. 30, the average normal temperature in New York is about 44 degrees. It’s 41 in Boston, 45 in Washington, 49 in Atlanta, 33 in Chicago, 40 in St. Louis, 43 in Seattle and 56 in Burbank, California, according to MDA in Gaithersburg, Maryland.