May-like temperatures to sweep across the Central US
A widespread swath of the US will face record-breaking temperatures on either side of the clock as the air heats up to levels more typical of late April or early May.
People hoping for an early dose of spring are in luck. The upcoming week will bring about a pattern shift that will allow warm conditions to spread across the Plains, AccuWeather forecasters say.
"Springlike temperatures will be in store for much of the center of the country from the southern Plains to the Midwest," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
Some cities will have high temperatures rising as much as 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit above typical late-February values on Monday and Tuesday.
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Over the weekend, a zone of high pressure centered over the South Central and Midwestern states promoted largely dry conditions and gradual warming. High temperatures rose into the 60s and 70s as far north as Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois on Sunday. Typically, late February daytime temperatures typically trend between the upper 30s and the lower 40s.
May-like temperatures in February
By Monday and Tuesday, the peak of the warmth will set in across the Plains. Widespread highs in the 60s and 70s are projected as far north as the Dakotas, southern Minnesota, Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin on Monday. Locations across Texas can return to the 80s and 90s as the warm conditions expand northward.
"High pressure centered over the Plains will shift off to the east early this week, allowing winds out of the south to transport warmer air across the center of the country," noted DaSilva.
Numerous daily records will be in jeopardy from northern Texas to the northern tier of the country early this week. Des Moines, Iowa, is forecast to rise to a high of 74 F on Monday, which would break the longstanding daily record of 70 F set in 1896. The high in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, could also challenge the daily record of 66 F set in 1896.
The unusual warmth by day will also mean rather unusually warm nights.
DaSilva added that overnight temperatures will be around 30 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average in some locations and resemble highs more typical of late April or early May. Residents longing for spring conditions to arrive may briefly get their wish.
Widespread swath of the US to face record highs
Additional towns and cities with records that could be challenged will include Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fargo, North Dakota; St. Cloud, Minnesota; and Dubuque, Iowa.
Earlier this past week, temperatures were on a steady upward track across much of the Plains as a similar pattern gripped the region. The upcoming push of warm weather will usher in even higher temperatures than the previous round of springlike warmth.
Forecasters warn that a dramatic temperature turnaround will occur for places like Bismarck and Grand Forks, North Dakota, from Monday to Tuesday as a potent cold front tracks out of the Front Range into the Eastern states. Both locations are forecast to drop from the 50s and 60s on Monday to highs in the teens on Tuesday. That's between a 40- and 45-degree temperature drop for some spots.
"By midweek, the dramatic cooldown will encompass the Central states, but this will be short-lived as the warmth will come roaring back by the end of the month," DaSilva said.
The clash of the May-like warmth and the push of Arctic air will result in severe thunderstorms, downpours and gusty winds spanning Tuesday through Wednesday across the central and eastern U.S.
Where gusty winds do not dry out roads and sidewalks, there is the potential for the plummeting temperatures to cause a freeze up across part of the Midwest, and then eventually the interior Northeast, around the middle part of the week.
Warmer air pushes eastward
As the storm shifts across the country from the middle to late parts of the week, the warmer conditions will move into the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Although temperatures will not be as high as what the Plains states can expect to experience, the mild air will still be impressive for the time of year.
Daytime highs will be in the 50s and 60s for many locations across the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and New England, roughly 10-20 F above late-February historical averages.
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