Welcome to April! ... errr ... make that February
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 30, 2020 6:45 PM EDT
Warm air kicked off the month of February across the Plains, with another warmer-than-normal day on Saturday.
Amidst strong Chinook Winds, Great Falls, Montana was able to set a daily record high temperature of 64 degrees Saturday.
But more warmth is expected for the second half of the weekend.
Springlike warmth is projected to build across the nation's heartland as February begins before it shifts into the eastern part of the United States early this week. The warmth amid an already mild winter may have many checking the calendar and pondering whether the season will make an early transition.
The upcoming surge of warmth is forecast to bring both daytime and nighttime temperatures of 10 to 25 degrees above average.
During late January and early February, high temperatures typically range from the upper teens over the northern tier of the Midwest and Northeast to the lower 70s F in South Texas to the upper 70s in South Florida. Nighttime lows generally range from below zero near the Canada border to the lower 60s in South Florida.
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At peak, temperatures are predicted to climb into the 40s over the upper Great Lakes and the upper 30s in northern New England to the middle 70s along the upper Gulf Coast and the 80s in parts of South Texas and the Florida Peninsula.
Some records dating back more than 30 years could be challenged as far north as the Upper Midwest. On Sunday, the record of 51 set in 1992 in Chicago and 43 in 1991 in Houghton Lake, Michigan, are among the records that may be surpassed.
The warmth will be truncated over much of the central and northern Plains and the Upper Midwest as colder air from west-central Canada is forecast to sprawl southeastward over this sector later Sunday and Monday.
The warmth will last the longest in the Southeast, but at least a few days of well-above-average temperatures are in store for the mid-Atlantic.
Highs in Washington, D.C., will be in the 50s on Sunday, the 60s during Monday and Tuesday, and may still flirt with 60 on Wednesday.
Along with the lingering warmth next will likely be a few waves of wet weather. A storm gathering in the center of the country early next week will send in the rain, bring the potential for severe weather in the south and eventually bring in cooler air to the Eastern Seaboard.
Even when some cooler air filters to the Atlantic coast later next week, temperatures should be no worse than average and may still be 5 to 10 degrees above average for many locations.
The colder air expected to slice into the Central States during the first part of next week may be a sign of even more brutal Arctic air that could take root later in the month.
"We are anticipating that a strong push of Arctic air will take place into the U.S. during the second and third week of February," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
The spread of colder air into the Central States and perhaps the Northeast could also set up an active storm track as February progresses.
In the meantime, home and business owners are saving on their heating bills from the Central and Eastern states with temperature departures that recorded well above normal in January.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Welcome to April! ... errr ... make that February
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 30, 2020 6:45 PM EDT
Warm air kicked off the month of February across the Plains, with another warmer-than-normal day on Saturday.
Amidst strong Chinook Winds, Great Falls, Montana was able to set a daily record high temperature of 64 degrees Saturday.
But more warmth is expected for the second half of the weekend.
Springlike warmth is projected to build across the nation's heartland as February begins before it shifts into the eastern part of the United States early this week. The warmth amid an already mild winter may have many checking the calendar and pondering whether the season will make an early transition.
The upcoming surge of warmth is forecast to bring both daytime and nighttime temperatures of 10 to 25 degrees above average.
During late January and early February, high temperatures typically range from the upper teens over the northern tier of the Midwest and Northeast to the lower 70s F in South Texas to the upper 70s in South Florida. Nighttime lows generally range from below zero near the Canada border to the lower 60s in South Florida.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
At peak, temperatures are predicted to climb into the 40s over the upper Great Lakes and the upper 30s in northern New England to the middle 70s along the upper Gulf Coast and the 80s in parts of South Texas and the Florida Peninsula.
Some records dating back more than 30 years could be challenged as far north as the Upper Midwest. On Sunday, the record of 51 set in 1992 in Chicago and 43 in 1991 in Houghton Lake, Michigan, are among the records that may be surpassed.
Related:
The warmth will be truncated over much of the central and northern Plains and the Upper Midwest as colder air from west-central Canada is forecast to sprawl southeastward over this sector later Sunday and Monday.
The warmth will last the longest in the Southeast, but at least a few days of well-above-average temperatures are in store for the mid-Atlantic.
Highs in Washington, D.C., will be in the 50s on Sunday, the 60s during Monday and Tuesday, and may still flirt with 60 on Wednesday.
Along with the lingering warmth next will likely be a few waves of wet weather. A storm gathering in the center of the country early next week will send in the rain, bring the potential for severe weather in the south and eventually bring in cooler air to the Eastern Seaboard.
Even when some cooler air filters to the Atlantic coast later next week, temperatures should be no worse than average and may still be 5 to 10 degrees above average for many locations.
The colder air expected to slice into the Central States during the first part of next week may be a sign of even more brutal Arctic air that could take root later in the month.
"We are anticipating that a strong push of Arctic air will take place into the U.S. during the second and third week of February," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
The spread of colder air into the Central States and perhaps the Northeast could also set up an active storm track as February progresses.
In the meantime, home and business owners are saving on their heating bills from the Central and Eastern states with temperature departures that recorded well above normal in January.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo