Torrid Summer Heat In Plains Yesterday. Wildfires, Too

Storm chaser Jeff Piotrowski Tweeted this image of
a burning house caught up in Oklahoma wildfires
on Thursday

The Great Plains of the United States are known for some torrid summer heat waves. In months like July and August

But February?  

Yes, it was actually on the hot side in the southern Plains on Thursday. Not the torrid 110 degree weather you can get in mid-summer, but still, plenty hot.

Remember, this is February.

Gage, Oklahoma topped out at 90 degrees. I'm guessing this might be the furthest north in the Unite States anyone has seen a 90 degree reading. Incredibly, way up in western Kansas, Garden City topped out at 89 degrees.

All time record highs for the entire month of February were set in Dodge City, Kansas, with 88 degrees; Goodland, Kansas with 82 degrees, and Pueblo, Colorado at 81 degrees, says the Weather Channel.

Dozens of cities in the southern and central Plains had daily record highs.

The heat was accompanied very low humidities and strong winds. In some parts of northern Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, relative humidities were a bone dry 10 percent and winds gusted to as high as 50 mph.

This meant there were a lot of wildfires in the region yesterday. The National Weather Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma detected no fewer than 26 wildfires burning simultaneously late Thursday afternoon, the Tulsa World reported.

That doesn't include other fires too small to be detected by weather radar.

At least two vacant homes were destroyed by fire and other homes damaged. Storm chaser Jeff Piotrowski on Thursday Tweeted several photos of structures burning in the Oklahoma wildfires. Luckily, it appears there were only a few minor injuries.

Winds continue to be a problem further north today in places like the Dakotas and Wyoming. For instance, I'm sure my relatives in Yankton, South Dakota were rattled awake this morning by wind gusts of 61 mph.

The southern Plains heat will move east today but weaken. Still, it could get into the 60s as far north as Cincinnati, Ohio.

The East Coast will get warmer this weekend, but we won't be breaking February heat records. Still, 50s will reach as far north as southern New England and readings in the 40s will get all the way up to the Canadian border in New England.