February is on track to be among the warmest on record in several U.S. cities, particularly 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 all-time highs.
The warming trend will begin Sunday in the Midwest and strengthen through Monday, which is expected to be the warmest day of the year for cities such as St. Louis, Dallas and Chicago, possibly exceeding norms by as much as 30 degrees. .
This heat gain is expected to follow a powerful low pressure system sweeping across the country.
As it pushes warm, moist air northward, it may also drive 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 U.S. cities, particularly 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 a new record.
Unusual heat spreads eastward Tuesday, covering much of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, with highs expected in the 60s from Chicago to Cleveland and possibly near 80 degrees in St. Louis. Texas may see highs in the 80s and 90s.
By Wednesday, the heat will hit the East Coast, with Philadelphia and New York City expected to see temperatures in the 60s. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast and Southeast will remain warm.
A city like Omaha, Nebraska, could see temperatures as high as 70 degrees, when they would normally only reach 40 degrees this time of year.
In Omaha, Nebraska, the temperature on Sunday topped 65 degrees (18.3 degrees Celsius) on a day when the average high temperature hovers around the freezing mark, according to the National Weather Service.
“Omaha is having the 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 tomorrow, when the maximum temperature will be around 80 degrees.”
While the warmer than usual temperatures may have provided a break from harsh winter conditions, it didn’t come without some concerns.
The warming trend will begin Sunday in the Midwest and intensify through Monday, which is expected to be the warmest day of the year in cities such as St. Louis, Dallas and Chicago.
By Wednesday, the heat will hit the East Coast, with Philadelphia and New York City expected to see temperatures in the 60s. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast and Southeast will remain hot
The National Weather Service cited the heat, along with low humidity, winds gusting over 35 mph (56 kph) in some places and dry winter vegetation in issuing fire danger alerts for an area stretching to across 11 states.
Red flag warnings and fire watches were issued in parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
Nearby states, including parts of Arkansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin, received hazardous weather forecasts due to increased fire danger, according to weather service maps.
The unusually early heat wave could portend trouble ahead, Wood said.
The Climate Prediction Center says there is a high probability of higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal rainfall in the region through the end of summer.
The unseasonably warm conditions had many people heading outdoors 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 experience drought again, and that would be a big concern, especially when it comes to fire risk,” he said.
Temperatures reached the 60s in Denver, Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday, and Kansas City, Missouri, recorded temperatures in the mid-70s.
The unseasonably warm conditions had many people heading outdoors to play in local parks, wash their cars and even get an early start on lawn care over the weekend.
The warming is expected to bring some record-breaking temperatures on Monday, but on Tuesday night, a cold front will send the region back into winter, with sub-zero wind chills and snow across much of the central part of the country on Wednesday.
Dallas could even approach 90 degrees, a high typically reached beginning in late April, while areas near the Mexican border could even experience triple-digit temperatures.