Tuesday was the warmest February day the St. Louis region has ever recorded.
The St. Louis region also broke a daily record for the second day in a row. The high of 86 degrees Tuesday soared past the previous 79-degree record set on Feb. 27, 1981. It also broke the record high for the month, which was 85 degrees, set in 1972. Monday’s 80-degree high also broke the daily record set in 1996.
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Across the region, people were outside taking advantage of the unseasonably warm February day. Hellen Nunez was visiting from New York. She had her bags with her at the Gateway Arch after her flight was delayed.
“I mean, 80 degrees in February?” Nunez said. “Kind of crazy.”
Nancy Kennedy-Delgado was also on the Arch grounds walking Diego and Frida — her two Goldendoodles. Although she was glad for the opportunity to get some sunlight and said the weather was especially nice, it did make her worried.
“I definitely think about global warming and climate change,” Kennedy-Delgado said. “Obviously that's bad for us, and yeah, I am definitely concerned about the environment.”
So far, February has been exceptionally hot in the St. Louis region. It is on track to be the second-warmest February on record, not including Tuesday’s temperatures.
February has been more than 10 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service. That could change in the coming days as temperatures are expected to fall.
Experts say warming winters have been a driver of overall rising temperatures in the Midwest in recent years. Last year was the second warmest on record in the St. Louis region and in Illinois. The months with the largest departures from normal temperatures were January, February and December.
Quincy and Rolla also broke their respective records for the day. Quincy saw a high of 80 degrees, while Vichy-Rolla reached 82.
See photos from St. Louis Public Radio photojournalist Eric Lee below:
