CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The unseasonably warm weather pattern reached new heights Thursday with a record high in Charlotte being set.
While other parts of the country deal with a major winter storm and blizzard conditions, the Carolinas enjoyed at least another day of warm temperatures before we get closer to normal heading into the weekend, according to forecaster Larry Sprinkle.
So just how warm was it?
The first record we smashed was the morning low record which was 59 degrees set back in 2018. Our low Thursday morning was 66 degrees. That also set a morning low monthly record, which was previously 62. That means we hit the warmest low temperature we have had in official record keeping, which accounts for the past 145 years.
Then, we broke the daily record when we hit 80 degrees. The previous record was set in 2018 when we got up to 79 degrees.
There was a chance it would be the warmest February day ever in Charlotte, too.
"If we get to 82, we'll tie the all-time record and 83 would break it," Sprinkle said early Thursday morning.
The current record of 82 degrees was hit three times, in 1930, 2011 and most recently, 2018. The warmest Feb. 23 on record was 79 degrees in 2018. However, with a high of 80, we didn't break that record, but three out of four wasn't bad.
To put this warmth into perspective, consider this. At 25 degrees above average (our average high this time of year is 58), that's the June 25 equivalent of 113 degrees, chief meteorologist Brad Panovich shared on Twitter.
The early warmth is also causing issues with plants and trees in the Carolinas. Pollen counts are way up for this time of year and it's led to some unseasonable suffering for those with allergies.
Soil temperatures in the Charlotte area have been in the low 60s, according to Panovich. This means warm-season grass is likely starting to grow. With temperatures that are closer to late April than February, plants and trees are starting to bloom.
If you've been suffering from allergies, we have good news. We're looking at a chilly, rainy day on Saturday, which should help with the pollen and bring things much closer to normal before even more warm weather next week.
