Record High February Temperatures
While the calendar reads February, the weather made it feel like May across much of the Eastern United States this week. Numerous record high temperatures were set on Tuesday, not just for February 20th, but for the entire month of February. Charleston, West Virginia topped out at 81 degrees Tuesday, breaking its daily record of 77 degrees from 1939 and its February high temperature record of 80 degrees set just last year. Indianapolis reached 77 degrees Tuesday, breaking its February high temperature record of 76 degrees from 2000. Even Florida got in on the record-breaking warmth. Tampa’s high temperature on Tuesday was 89 degrees, which broke the February record of 88 degrees set both on Monday and back in 1971.
The unseasonable warmth peaked Wednesday in the northeastern United States. Newark, New Jersey recorded a high temperature of 80 degrees, which was not only its warmest temperature for the month of February, but it was warmer than any temperature previously recorded during December, January, or February. Allentown, Pennsylvania reached a summer-like 81 degrees Wednesday, breaking the previous record for the month of February of 77 degrees set just last year.
