Forget the cold: KC about to get a weeklong warm spell

After a cold start of the year, Kansas City gets a break.

High temperatures over the next several days will rise above normal for this time of the year, leaving behind the freezing temperatures.

Although Thursday got off to a cold start — 17 degrees at Kansas City International Airport shortly before 6 a.m. — temps should reach 40 by noon and the mid-40s by mid-afternoon.

Friday’s and Saturday’s highs are expected to be even better, reaching into the low 50s.

Highs on Sunday and early next week are likely to be in the upper 40s.

The National Weather Service in Kansas City said via Twitter that they expect at least seven days in a row with a high of 40 degrees or more.

The last time that happened was in early November. The last time Kansas City had 7 days or more with a high of 40 degrees or higher in January was in 2012, when one day reaching 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

This warm-up is coming at a time when Kansas City typically experiences its coldest temperatures of the season.

Kansas City’s coldest period is Jan. 10th to 22nd, when the normal high is 38 degrees with a normal low of 19 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

This story was originally published January 15, 2015 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Forget the cold: KC about to get a weeklong warm spell."