Sunny and gorgeous weather in Philadelphia, Pa. and it's not even spring
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Oh, what a day - if only this fell on the weekend.
Thursday will turn out beautiful with mostly sun in the sky in Philadelphia and at the Jersey Shore. The high temperature will reach 76 in the city, the low 70s up into the Lehigh Valley and the mid-60s down the Shore.
No rain is expected today - it'll just be a pleasant time to get outdoors, go for a walk or maybe train for the Broad Street Run, walk the dog, sip a beverage on a rooftop or patio somewhere, you know the deal.
If you can take your lunch break outdoors - I highly suggest you do it.
This is our second day in a row in the 70s. On Wednesday, we saw our first 70-degree day of the season.
High pollen count and slight decrease in air quality in Philadelphia
This has been a warm month with May-like temperatures running above normal by as much as 20 to 25 degrees. Warm temperatures have triggered unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups on Thursday.
This is a far cry from the air quality levels last summer when smoke from the Canadian wildfires drifted down over the United States.
While Thursday's warmth may be a pleasant surprise for all of us, it's also a surprise for the plants and trees that are beginning to bud out and even bloom early.
The recent stretch of 70-degree temperatures has unleashed extreme levels of tree pollen. The grasses, weeds and ragweeds are still at a low level. Mold levels are slightly elevated.
Rain showers on Friday may wash some of the pollen out of the air, but a dry, warm weekend ahead will keep those pollen levels elevated.
Relief may finally be in sight next week with cooler-than-average temperatures arriving Tuesday and Wednesday.
Temps higher than average across eastern U.S.
While this weather is awesome, it's important to note these temperatures are far above normal for March - we're seeing highs well above normal across much of the eastern United States.
If you wish it were a little cooler, things start to cool down to close out the week - we'll have some rain before settling down for a still pleasant St. Patrick's Day weekend.
Friday, the high drops to 70 and we'll see some showers as a cold front approaches.
That cooler air will drop the high temperature for Saturday to around 60 degrees. Sunday is about the same with a high of 62.
We're also expecting another cold front to settle in Sunday and snap us back to more normal March temperatures.
The spring-like weather is here for now, but when spring actually starts with the vernal equinox Tuesday night, temperatures will be in the 30s.
Low temperatures at that time will be around the freezing mark.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Thursday: Sunny, very warm. High 76
Friday: Warm with some showers. High 70, Low 55
Saturday: Cooler, some sun. High 62, Low 46
Sunday: Partly sunny. High 61, Low 45
Monday: Turning colder. High 50, Low 38
Tuesday: Cold start to spring. High 46, Low 33
Wednesday: Sunny, brisk. High 49, Low 34
Get the latest weather info on the CBS News Philadelphia app.
