Soaring Temps This Week Could Break 300 All-Time Records, Meteorologists Say
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Those of us who have been waiting for the winter weather to depart should finally get our wish this week—even if only temporarily. As spring slowly makes its return, meteorologists are predicting that over 300 all-time temperature records could be broken as we close out February. Don’t get too excited, though: Colder temperatures are then likely to return once more.
“While this warmth is building in quickly, and we are expecting records through about Tuesday and Wednesday, we do get a sharp reminder once the storm moves in that, yes, it is still winter, and we still need the coats,” Fox Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said.
Read on to find out which parts of the country will be unseasonably warm this week, and how long the winter break will last.
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To start the week, the Fox Forecast Center reveals that more than 250 million Americans will experience above-average temperatures today.
In Nebraska, both Omaha and Lincoln could have their warmest February day on record, according to Fox Weather. But more than five dozen daily record highs are expected to hit, all the way from Texas through North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In fact, the city of Dallas might end up seeing a high of 95 degrees today.
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Tuesday
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Temperatures are expected to continue heating up tomorrow, too.
“This warmth is really beginning to build today across the middle tier of the country, and it continues to shift its way eastward by about Tuesday,” Minar said.
According to the Fox Forecast Center, around 243 million people in the U.S. are forecast to see above-average temperatures on Tuesday.
All-time February record highs are possible for Springfield, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin. Chicago is also forecast to see a high in the mid-70s on Feb. 27, while St. Louis is forecast to see a high in the lower 80s. If St. Louis temperatures hit 85 that day, it will break the record for February warmth in the city.
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By Wednesday, the warmth will start moving out in some areas. But much of the East Coast is still predicted to see unusual warmth: In fact, 190 million people in the U.S. are forecast to experience above-average temperatures on Feb. 28, according to the Fox Forecast Center.
Fox Weather reported that the highest potential for broken records on this day is expected across the Northeast.
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Colder temperatures are still expected to make their way back to many regions of the U.S. later in the week, however. According to Fox Weather, a cold front will push a cross-country storm that is likely to bring a wild temperature swing to millions.
During the second half of the week, the Fox Forecast Center predicts that temperatures will go from 20 to 30 degrees above average to 10 to 20 degrees below average in some places. This swing is expected to come with blasting winds as well, causing feels-like temperatures to dip below zero in parts of the northern U.S. by next week.
Above-Average Temps Warming Entire U.S. Next Week—How It’ll Affect Your Region
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Most of the U.S. has been huddled under blankets amid frigid temperatures this week. If you’re already sick of all the snow, ice, and arctic air, you may be in luck. A major weather pattern change is expected to reverse trends next week, according to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The CPC just issued its latest temperature outlook , predicting that above-average temps will be warming the entire country through the end of the month. Read on to find out more about how this “transition to a warmer pattern” will affect your region.
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This new warming trend is expected to begin as early as Jan. 21 in parts of the West, CNN reported. By the last week of January, the CPC predicts that most of this region will have a 60 to 80 percent chance of experiencing above-average temperatures.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll be staying dry. The warmer conditions arrive along with storm systems hitting the West next week, which is expected to bring higher rain levels to states like California, according to The Weather Channel. The highest elevations will also see increased snowfall.
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The most dramatic temperature changes are likely to hit midweek throughout the central part of the country, according to CNN. Some areas in the Midwest are expected to shift from temperatures that were 30 to 40 degrees below average last Sunday to temperatures that are 10 to 20 degrees above average by Jan. 24.
Cities such as Des Moines, Iowa, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, are set to see 40- to 50-degree temperature swings‚ making things feel much more like March than like January.
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Another blast of cold air is expected to hit the East Coast this weekend. But by early next week, freezing temperatures will have already started to thaw in the South, according to The Weather Channel.
This region is likely to see highs in the 50 and 60s on Monday and Tuesday. Then by mid-week, much of the South will be back in the 60s and 70s.
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The Northeast is not going to be left out of this warming trend. By the middle of next week, highs in the 40s are expected to be common in places such as Indianapolis, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York City, according to CNN.
This will make the region feel like it’s in late February rather than the last weeks of January.
- Source: CPC: 8-14 Day Temperature Outlook
