Readings will come in more than 20°F warmer than normal for some cities on the Plains and throughout the Midwest, an impressive slug of Christmastime heat not measured since reliable records began in the late 1800s.
This sprawling ridge blanketing most of the country will keep temperatures above normal from coast to coast for much of the week, holding Arctic air at bay right along the Canadian border.
We'll see the ridge, and subsequent heat, peak in intensity on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s across the Plains and Midwest.
As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service's official forecast showed:
- 48 stations with record high-minimums (warm lows) on Christmas morning
- 67 stations with record high-maximums (hot highs) on Christmas Day
- 54 stations with record high-minimums on Friday, Dec. 26
- 20 stations with record high-maximums on Friday, Dec. 26
Some of those predicted record highs include 82°F in Lubbock, Texas; 79°F in Tulsa, Oklahoma; 74°F in St. Louis, Missouri; and 62°F in Des Moines, Iowa.
How warm is that compared to normal? An average high on Dec. 25 in St. Louis comes in around 42°F, so we'll be 22 degrees above normal there. Tulsa's forecast high of 79°F is a whopping 30 degrees above normal for Christmas Day.
The warmth will continue and spread east heading into Boxing Day (which we sadly don't celebrate here, boo) and the following Saturday. Friday will see a whopping high of 88°F in McAllen, Texas, with readings in the upper 60s spreading deep into the Mid-Atlantic states.
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