Near record warmth expected Wednesday for the KC area

Kansas City is flirting with possible record warmth Wednesday, followed by a chance of snow this weekend.

The National Weather Service in Kansas City shared via social channels that we may see a high of 70 degrees with upper 60s to lower 70s expected over the greater Kansas City area. The previous record for that date was 74 degrees set in 2013.

It will be a breezy day with wind increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. The low Wednesday night is expected to hit 41 degrees.

Temperatures will drop Thursday with a projected high of 45 and a low of 24. Friday will be mostly sunny with a high near 39.

Snow chances will increase over the weekend with a possible rain and snow mix Saturday into Saturday night. Chances of precipitation are 50 percent. Snow may continue Sunday. A high of 27 is forecast for Monday.

The warm weather does pose a danger to trees or plants that could bloom early. That could place the plants at high risk of a devastating freeze later in the spring, the National Weather Service said.

It’s back to winter again for the first part of February.

For the first half of the month, temperatures are likely to be below normal with below normal precipitation, according to the National Weather Services’ Climate Prediction Center.

If the dry spell continues, there is concern that drought conditions could creep back soon.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Near record warmth expected Wednesday for the KC area."