February isn’t over yet, but it’s already made weather history for Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The high temperature reached a record-tying 70 degrees at Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township on Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier said.
It was the third time this month that the high has reached 70 or greater — and that has never happened since climate records started being kept in 1875, according to the weather service.
Thursday’s high tied the record for the day that had stood since 1922. The average high is about 42 degrees, Frazier said.
The other warm days this month were:
• Feb. 9, when the high of 70 broke the record of 68 set in 1925 and tied the high in 2001;
• Feb. 15, when a record of 71 was set, breaking the previous record of 69 that stood since 1954, Frazier said.
Frazier said the warm days were thanks to the region being on the right side of low pressure systems dragging warm air into the region.
But it’s not going to last, and it won’t likely be as warm as it was Thursday through the end of February.
A light shower is possible with the passage of a cold front between 10 p.m. and midnight.
The high Friday will reach only the upper 30s, Frazier said.
