CLEVELAND, Ohio – This weekend weather was one for the history books: Cleveland broke the high temperature record on Saturday by a whopping 7 degrees. But can we really celebrate spring yet?
We’re making the best of the weather, obviously, with barbecues, yard work, playground trips and the main event: washing all the salt off that grimy car.
All the records were smashed this afternoon. Some by as much as 10 degrees! Normal highs this time of year are in the upper 30s. #ohwx #pawx pic.twitter.com/ZRpRP5UHsP
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) February 19, 2017
It was the first weekend since the fall when you could hike or bike without a parka, snow boots and a running nose.
Brite Winter, an art and music festival held in the Flats in Cleveland on Saturday, is normally enjoyed with hot chocolate and mittens. Instead, it was bustling with over 30,000 lively (and warm) visitors. Sadly, the unique ice sculptures displayed at the festival this year didn’t stand a chance with 60-degree temperatures.
Friday, temperatures reached the mid 50s, but Saturday the mercury hit 69 degrees! The previous record was 62 degrees set in 1981. Sunday we yet again hit the mid-60s. The weather was perfect, but let’s not forget this time of year high temperatures average only 38 degrees.
The warm weekend was all thanks to a combination of southerly winds dragging in hot air from the Gulf of Mexico, and from a high pressure system drying out skies leading to plenty of sun warming things further.
Maybe this is why everyone in your office seems to be a bit cheerier than normal (especially for a Monday).
But the most important question of the day is, will it last?
Talking longer term, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has Ohio in a region of a 33 to 40 percent elevated chance of above average temperatures through the end of the month, but for the month of March, we’re looking at equal chances of above or below normal temperatures.
Chances of above or below average temperature in March.NOAA
Looking shorter term, for the rest of the week, highs will top 60 degrees every day starting Tuesday. Unfortunately, this means rain and thunderstorms are back, replacing the snow.
Check out 5-day weather forecast:
Temperatures
Temperature forecast compared to high temperature records.Kelly Reardon, cleveland.com
Precipitation chances
Precipitation forecast.Kelly Reardon, cleveland.com
Winds
Wind speed and direction forecast.Kelly Reardon, cleveland.com
Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don’t forget to submit any weather questions you may have!
Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com’s meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @kreardon0818.
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