Frosty? Hardly as Kansas City could set record for warmest December day ever
Not in that holiday spirit yet? Maybe the weather is to blame.
Although the calendar has flipped into December, the weather in Kansas City on Thursday will feel more like your typical mid-September day.
High temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-70s, about 30 degrees warmer than the 47 degrees that is typically seen this time of year.
And if it gets warm enough, Kansas City could see its hottest December day — ever.
Only three times in Kansas City’s history, dating back to 1888, have temperatures climbed to 74 degrees in December. That was on Dec. 3, 2012, Dec. 5, 2001, and Dec. 6, 1939, the National Weather Service in Kansas City said on Twitter.
Well above normal temperatures are expected again Friday before temperatures start to cool and return to near normal levels on Monday with highs in the 40s.
The unseasonably warm temperatures come at a time when Kansas City is seeing the summer season extended and warmer winters due to climate change.
Every 10 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration resets what defines normal weather conditions for daily, monthly and annual climate conditions for thousands of locations across the United States. New averages are calculated based on weather conditions over the past three decades.
The latest figures were released this spring showing that Kansas City was getting warmer and that the winter season saw the largest increase in average temperatures. The other seasons saw smaller increases.
Nationwide, winter was the season with the largest and most widespread rise in normal temperatures of well over one degree within nearly every region, according to an analysis released this week by Climate Matters, an independent climate change research organization.
This story was originally published December 2, 2021 at 8:37 AM.
