More Record Warmth Ahead From Midwest to East Tuesday, Wednesday

Brian Donegan
Published: February 26,2017
Just days after last week's warmth shattered thousands of daily records and over two hundred monthly records, another warm up is expected to challenge record highs from the Midwest to the East Tuesday and Wednesday.
A southward dip in the jet stream over the West will result in the jet stream surging northward into Canada over the eastern U.S. In addition, southerly winds ahead of a cold front will allow warm air to engulf much of the Midwest and East.
(MORE: East of the Rockies, Signs of Spring Already Beginning to Pop Up)
Below, we'll break down how much temperatures will warm up and where record highs may be in jeopardy.

Tuesday

Highs are expected to be 15 to 30 degrees above average from the Midwest to the East.
Highs in the 60s are possible as far north as Chicago, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, with 70s as far north as the mid-Mississippi Valley, including Kansas City and St. Louis. Widespread 80s are expected across the South.

Forecast Highs Compared to Average Tuesday

Numerous record highs will be challenged Tuesday. This includes (current record in parenthesis): Chicago (61 degrees), Fort Wayne, Indiana (59 degrees), Paducah, Kentucky (73 degrees), Grand Rapids, Michigan (54 degrees), Binghamton, New York (54 degrees), Memphis, Tennessee (78 degrees), and Milwaukee, Wisconsin (54 degrees).
(MORE: 10-Day Forecast Highs/Low)

Wednesday

The Midwest will cool down behind a cold front, but temperatures remain generally 5 to 10 degrees above average. The core of the warmth will set up over the East, with temperatures over 30 degrees above average in parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Highs in the 60s will surge northward into upstate New York and southern New England. New York City could approach 70 degrees, while Philadelphia and Washington D.C. easily soar into the 70s. Much of the Southeast will be dominated by temperatures in the 80s, and Jacksonville could be close to 90 degrees.

Forecast Highs Compared to Average Wednesday

Over three dozen record highs could be broken Wednesday. This includes (current record in parenthesis): Washington D.C. (77 degrees), Richmond, Virginia (79 degrees), Baltimore (76 degrees), Philadelphia (69 degrees), New York City (69 degrees), Albany, New York (54 degrees), Jacksonville, Florida (84 degrees), Charlotte, North Carolina (76 degrees), and Atlanta (77 degrees).
(MORE: 6 Unusual Things the February Pattern Has Brought)
By late week, temperatures will return to near or just slightly-above average.

How Warm Has This February Been?

The eastern half of the United States has endured one of the warmest streaks of February weather on record. The warmer-than-average temperatures have already broken thousands of records, including over a hundred all-time February record highs.
(MORE: As Spring Approaches, Here's When Temperatures Typically Warm Up)
Many locations are currently on track to recording their warmest February on record, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. This includes Dallas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Memphis.
Several all-time record-high temperatures for February were set Feb. 11 in Texas, including, Midland, Lubbock and Wichita Falls, where highs soared into the 90s. Denver also set a new record-earliest 80-degree day on Feb. 10, breaking the previous record by more than a full month.
(MORE: All-Time February Heat in the Southern Plains)
More recently, from Feb. 17-24, roughly 2,900 daily warm records (record highs and record-warm lows) were set across the U.S. Over 250 all-time February warm records (record highs and record-warm lows) were also set, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

Number of warm and cold records set from Feb. 17-24, 2017.
(Data: NOAA/NCEI)

For some cities, February 2017 will end up warmer than an average March, including Buffalo and Rochester, New York.
(MORE: March 2017 Temperature Outlook: Widespread Warmth Expected)

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