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       D.C.'s average high in the last week of October is in the mid-60s and it drops a degree every two or three days.

       Yet each of the past five days has seen highs of at least 78 degrees, averaging around 80, a first for late October and the second warmest stretch so late in the season on record. With a predicted high near 80 again on Monday afternoon, the historic stretch could extend to a sixth day.

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       The only warmer stretch to occur this late in the year came in 1974, when the high temperature averaged just shy of 82 degrees between Oct. 30 and Nov. 4.

       This year’s stretch — which peaked on a Saturday with a maximum of 86, the average high in late August — follows the most intense September heat wave on record when it was in the upper 90s five days in a row.

       Human-caused climate change from urbanization and the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from burning coal, oil and gas are increasing the frequency and intensity of abnormally warm temperatures.

       The past seven days, ending Sunday, featured the warmest maximum temperatures on record averaged over this particular week of October, not just in the Washington area, but across much of the Mid-Atlantic. Scores of record highs were set.

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       Dulles International Airport broke record highs Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday of 81, 84 and 86 degrees, respectively. The 86 there Saturday was its highest temperature so late in the year (since 1963). Baltimore also set record highs Thursday and Friday of 83 and 82 degrees, respectively.

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       While Washington’s official observing location at Reagan National Airport just missed records, it wasn’t by much: Wednesday and Thursday ranked 4th warmest for those calendar days; Friday and Saturday ranked second warmest; and Sunday was 5th warmest.

       Saturday’s high of 86 in Washington became its second highest temperature recorded so late in the year. Only two previous days have been comparably warm or warmer this late: on Oct. 28, 1919 when it was 87 and on Nov. 1, 1974 when it was 86.

       Similar abnormal warmth was observed up and down the East Coast in recent days:

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       Hartford hit 84, warmest so late New York LaGuardia hit 83, second warmest so late Philadelphia hit 83, third warmest so late Portland, Me., hit 80, second warmest so late Richmond hit 86, third warmest so late Wallops Island, Va. hit 83, warmest so late

       Saturday’s high in Washington, 21 degrees above normal, was among the largest departures of the year compared and the largest outside of last spring and winter. There have been 10 days with departures of at least 20 degrees from the norm this year.

       But big changes are on the way — with a shocking jolt of chilly air inbound.

       A cold front passing Monday afternoon and evening will ultimately send high temperatures 30 or more degrees lower than the peak of this late October warm spell. Trick-or-treaters will want to bundle up Tuesday evening with temperatures in the 40s after as highs only a little past 50 during the afternoon.

       Much of the area could experience freezing temperatures Wednesday night into Thursday morning, which is actually around the average time. At Dulles, the average first freeze is Oct. 19, while it’s Nov. 17 near downtown Washington.

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