February is on track to be among the warmest on record in several US cities, especially in the Midwest and East Coast.
Temperatures are expected to rise 20 to 40 degrees above average in what is typically one of the coldest months of the year, potentially setting new record highs.
The warming trend is expected to start Sunday in the Midwest and strengthen through Monday — which is expected to be the hottest day of the year for cities like St. Louis, Dallas and Chicago — possibly exceeding standards by as much as 30 degrees. .
This increase in heat is expected to follow a powerful low-pressure system sweeping across the country.
As it pushes warm and moist air north, it could also fuel the development of severe thunderstorms across parts of the Midwest and South on Tuesday and Wednesday.
February is on track to be among the warmest on record in several US cities, especially in the Midwest and East Coast
Temperatures are expected to rise 20 to 40 degrees above average in what is typically one of the coldest months of the year, which could potentially set a new record
The unseasonable warmth will expand eastward Tuesday, covering much of the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley, with highs in the 60s expected from Chicago to Cleveland and possibly around 80 degrees in St. Louis. Texas sees highs in the 80s and 90s.
The heat will reach the East Coast on Wednesday, with temperatures in the 60s expected in Philadelphia and New York City. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast and Southeast will remain warm.
A city like Omaha, Nebraska, could see temperatures in the 70s, when it would normally only reach 40 degrees this time of year.
In Omaha, Nebraska, temperatures broke 65 degrees (18.3 degrees Celsius) on Sunday on a day when the average high temperature is around freezing, according to the National Weather Service.
“Omaha is experiencing its second-warmest February on record in its 154-year history of weather tracking,” National Weather Service meteorologist Michaela Wood said Sunday. “And there is a chance to break the record as early as tomorrow, when we are dealing with a high temperature of around 80 degrees Celsius.”
While warmer than normal temperatures have provided a respite from the harsh winter conditions, this has not been without some concern.
The warming trend is expected to start in the Midwest on Sunday and strengthen through Monday – which is expected to be the hottest day of the year for cities including St. Louis, Dallas and Chicago
The heat will reach the East Coast on Wednesday, with temperatures in the 60s expected in Philadelphia and New York City. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast and Southeast will remain warm
The National Weather Service took advantage of the heat, low humidity, wind gusts of more than 35 mph in some places and dry winter vegetation to issue fire danger warnings in an area spanning parts of 11 states.
Red flag warnings and fire warnings were issued in parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, into Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and east into Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
Neighboring states, including parts of Arkansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin, were under hazardous weather outlooks due to increased fire danger, according to weather service maps.
The unusually early warm spell could cause problems in the future, Wood said.
The Climate Prediction Center says there is an increased chance of higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal rain in the region through the end of summer.
The unseasonably warm conditions sent many people outside to play in local parks, wash their cars and even get an early start on lawn care over the weekend
“If we continue on this trend, we could enter another drought, and that would be a major concern – especially when it comes to fire risks,” she said.
In Denver, Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, temperatures reached into the 60s on Sunday, and in Kansas City, Missouri, temperatures were in the mid-70s.
The unseasonably warm conditions sent many people outside to play in local parks, wash their cars and even get an early start on lawn care this weekend.
The warming is expected to bring record-breaking high temperatures on Monday, but a cold front will plunge the region back into winter on Tuesday evening, with subzero wind chills and snow in much of the central part of the country by Wednesday.
Dallas could even approach 90 degrees, a high not usually reached until late April, while areas near the border with Mexico could experience triple-digit temperatures.