A changeable weather week set for the contiguous United States with extreme temperatures, severe thunderstorms and the risk of widespread fire weather will affect millions of people from coast to coast – more than 100 could reach record highs across the country.
Highs of 30 to 45 degrees above average to start the week will approach a record high of around 70 on Monday and a record high of 50 on Tuesday.
Warm temperatures will feel like spring in the Plains and Midwest with highs in the 60s and 70s. High temperatures for the southern plains will be more typical of summer, and high temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid-80s and mid-90s for parts of Texas.
In addition to the dozens of daily records to be set, some February monthly records could be tied or broken. Major cities expected to reach record highs in the coming days include Dallas, Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Little Rock and Memphis.
The heat won’t last long with a sharp drop in temperatures expected by mid-week. A sharp cold front will drop high temperatures 20 to 40 degrees across the Plains, comparing Tuesday’s highs to Wednesday’s highs.
That would translate into Dallas going from the high 90s on Monday to the low 50s on Wednesday.
Temperature swings will be even more extreme for areas like Chicago, from record highs in the mid-70s Wednesday morning to wind chills in the teens and single digits.
The drastic change in temperature will come with a February storm moving across the country during the week. Ahead of the storm will be record warm temperatures, and behind the storm will be bitterly cold and gusty winds.
There will be a risk of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain where hot and cold air meet.
A storm system will move west on Monday, bringing heavy snow from the Cascades to the Rockies and strong winds from Montana to New Mexico.
Winter Storm Warnings are in place from the Rockies west to the Pacific Northwest, with snow totals in the Cascades forecast to reach 2 to 4 feet by Tuesday.
A storm system will shift east on Tuesday, bringing heavy snow to the Upper Midwest and strong storms from Missouri to Michigan. Light and moderate rain will move into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Tuesday’s severe storm risk covers 25 million people and the metro areas of Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Toledo. Very large and destructive hail, golf ball-sized, and isolated tornadoes are the biggest risks, followed by damaging winds.
These severe storms may begin late in the day, perhaps not until sunset or later, but may continue into the night. This will further increase the level of danger, as nocturnal curlews are more than twice as deadly as their daytime counterparts.
The risk of a tornado this far north in February is rare, as typical areas that experience severe thunderstorms this time of year are the Southeast and Gulf Coast states.
according to Tornado archiveA total of 57 tornadoes were recorded in Indiana and 68 in Illinois during the month of February. Compare that to Mississippi and Alabama, which had 282 and 235 February tornadoes, respectively.
By Wednesday, the storm system will bring heavy rain, strong winds and possibly a few thunderstorms to the East Coast, including the I-95 corridor.