Spring Fever, Record Warmth Overspread Central, Eastern States This Week

Quincy Vagell
Published: March 9,2016
Winter is showing no immediate signs of returning as an unseasonably warm weather pattern holds strong across much of the central and eastern states through this weekend. The warmth is breaking records and will continue to do so in the East through Thursday.

Midweek Weather Pattern

An upper-level ridge of high pressure has intensified across the East, setting the stage for the prolonged spell of springlike warmth. A southwesterly flow of air around a Bermuda high is also contributing to the warm temperatures across areas east of the Rockies.
Here is a breakdown of when and where the warmth will prevail.

Eastern States Threatening Records Through Thursday

Warmth on Tuesday began overspreading the Northeast, where temperatures in the 70s reached as far north as parts of Upstate New York. The Hudson Valley and parts of southern New England even rose into the 60s.

Highs Compared to Average Wednesday

Wednesday's warmth will likely top at least a dozen daily records from the southern Great Lakes to the Northeast as 70s surge as far north as southern New England and the Hudson Valley, while Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Charleston, West Virginia flirt with the 80-degree mark.
This also means temperatures at night largely stay above freezing at night, melting away any snow cover that remains across the region.
(FORECAST: Albany, New York | Hartford | Boston)

Eastern Forecast This Week

With high pressure likely to stall off the Southeast coast, the warmth in the East will linger into Thursday and Friday with more records possible, particularly on Thursday. There are uncertainties, including "backdoor" cold fronts that may cause temperatures to quickly cool across New England.
To be fair, as often is the case in March, this warm-up won't necessarily be "cloud-free".
Periods of rain, locally heavy in some areas, or simply days with either cloudy skies can be expected in most of these areas. However, most of the I-95 Northeast corridor south of Boston should remain rain-free through Thursday before the cool front knocks temperatures down a bit Friday.
(MAPS: 7-Day Rain/Snow Areas | National Highs/Lows)
Then again, if you're truly sick of winter, a cloudy, rainy day in the 60s might feel downright tropical to you.

Plains, Midwest, South Warmth

This past weekend, temperatures were more than 30 degrees average in the northern Plains, with highs reaching the 70s as far north as the Dakotas. Bismarck, North Dakota, shattered their daily record high by 9 degrees after reaching 75. The previous Saturday, Bismarck set a new North Dakota state February temperature record, reaching 73 degrees.
(MORE: North Dakota State Record Set)
Very impressive warmth built ahead of a storm system in the Plains on Monday as Hastings and Grand Island, Nebraska, recorded their second earliest 80-degree day on record with a high of 81 degrees. Only March 6, 1972 had highs in the 80s earlier in the calendar year in those cities.
Tuesday marked the earliest in the season that Chicago has reached 70 degrees since 2000, when they reached that mark on Feb. 25 of that year. Scroll to the bottom of this article for a breakdown of more records that have been set over the past few days.

Forecast This Week

The Great Lakes, which already have considerably less ice cover than this point last year, should enjoy temperatures rising into the 50s and 60s into next week, a welcome change for some after recent snowstorms.
Another major slug of warmth will engulf the Plains and Midwest once again Thursday into this weekend. Highs will be 20 to 30 degrees above average in parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and parts of other states late this week into the weekend. Some additional daily record highs may be threatened.
The warmth has also spread east from Texas into the Southeast, with widespread highs in the 70s and some 80s near the Gulf Coast and Florida. The warm conditions are fueling strong to severe thunderstorms with flooding rain through late week over parts of the Plains and Mississippi Valley.
(FORECAST: Chicago | Atlanta | Orlando)

Some of the Record Highs Set So Far

• Sunday, March 6: Valentine, Nebraska (78 degrees); Minot (73 degrees); Pierre, South Dakota (73 degrees); Billings (71 degrees); Fargo (66 degrees); Grand Forks (60 degrees).
   
• Monday, March 7: Sioux City (80 degrees); Omaha (79 degrees); Salina, Kansas (78 degres); Fargo (65 degrees); Minot (60 degrees).
   
• Tuesday, March 8: Wheeling, West Virginia (73 degrees); Saint Cloud (66 degrees); Dubois, Pennsylvania (64 degrees).

Numerous record warm low temperatures have also been set, as some locations have seen overnight low temperatures stay warmer than their average highs for early March.
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