Is spring on the way to State College? This week could see record-breaking high temps
Days in the heart of a State College winter are rarely balmy and comfortable. But as high temperatures reach the area this week, record-setting warmth could be in store for Happy Valley.
Spring-like temperatures are on the way thanks to a warm flow rising out from the South. This week’s weather is expected to bring above-average temperatures extending from Michigan and Ohio to Pennsylvania and upstate New York, according to AccuWeather.
The rare influx of warm, southern wind is ripe for an unseasonable week in Happy Valley, says Alan Reppert, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
“[Warmth] is going to continue, well, really into Thursday here before we see temperatures starting to come down later in the week,” Reppert said. “It’s really going to be spring-like for much of the region here, especially on Wednesday and into Thursday, when we could see some new record highs.”
Record-setting warmth on the way?
According to AccuWeather, comfortable temperatures in State College continued with a 54-degree high Tuesday before they’re set to jump up to a high of 72 degrees Wednesday. Temperatures will cool off Thursday when showers enter the area and bring along approximately 0.2 inches of rain, breezy winds and a high of 62, AccuWeather’s forecast predicts.
Wednesday’s forecast could result in new record temperatures, according to archived data from the National Weather Service dating back to 1893. Feb. 15’s projected high (72) and low (43) would comfortably surpass temperatures for the date’s record-high maximum (66 in 1954) and minimum (39 in 1984).
Last Friday, State College set a new record-high for Feb. 10, when temperatures rose to a maximum of approximately 62 degrees, the NWS said.
State College’s wildly warm mid-February in 1954 will likely prevent any other dates this week from setting new record-high temperatures, though. Thursday’s forecast doesn’t project temperatures warm enough to shatter Feb. 16’s record-high maximum temperature (73 degrees in 1954) and minimum temperature (55 degrees in 1954).
According to the NWS, average temperatures in State College in mid-February should typically reflect highs in the upper 30s and lows in the lower 20s.
Effects on the State College region
While above-average temperatures are often pleasant, they can have lingering side effects for residents. Temperatures dipping back down into the 20s and 30s Friday and Saturday in State College, for instance, could spell trouble for local farmers and gardeners.
“We could have an issue with flowers that do come out early due to the warmth,” Reppert said. “Temperatures are expected to, even by Friday night, drop into the lower 20s. So, that could easily kill off anything that does happen to come out with this warm weather we’re going to see.”
Of course, warmer temperatures reduce the chances of snowfall. A lack of below-freezing high temperatures this week, coupled with a general lack of precipitation, won’t help solve the area’s wintry woes.
“Really, the major thing we’re looking at is a continued lack of snowfall,” said Reppert. “Anyone looking for snow at Tussey [Mountain] or the local ski slopes are going to struggle for any relief to add to snow. Most of that snow will really be melting here over the week.”
So far this winter, State College has reported approximately 20 inches of snow between late November and mid-February, falling well behind the 31.9 inches of snow reported during the 2021-22 winter season. So far, both figures fall below the area’s annual average of 43.8 inches, according to the NWS.
Reppert chalked up State College’s quiet winter season to a lack of coordination between cold temperatures and precipitation.
“We’ve been struggling to see much cold air here, especially when we’ve had storms come through the region,” he said. “Whenever we do have that colder air, it’s typically struggling to come with any precipitation across central Pennsylvania.”
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