Temps in upper 50s expected. Where this Christmas could rank among Kansas City’s hottest
Still considering which ugly sweater to wear for Christmas this year in Kansas City? You might want to consider one that is sleeveless.
Temperatures are expected to soar well above normal on Christmas, making it one of the hottest on record in the metro, according to climate data from NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers.
With the holiday just days away, the National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures of 58 degrees on Christmas Day, which would tie for the 10th hottest.
The normal temperature for the holiday in Kansas City is 40 degrees, with the record being 67 degrees, set in 1922.
This comes at a time Kansas City is seeing a warmer than usual December. The average temperature for the month so far is 40.1 degrees. That is nearly 5.5 degrees higher than the normal of 34.7 degrees for the month as of Dec. 18, according to the climate data.
Although Tuesday got off to a chilly start, with overnight temperatures falling into the lower to mid-20s, strong southerly winds are expected to draw warmer air into the region. Temperatures are expected to climb to around 50 degrees in the afternoon, according to the weather service.
The gusty winds, combined with low relative humidity and dormant plants, have raised concerns that conditions in some areas are ripe for any fires to spread rapidly, according to the weather service.
Above normal temperatures are expected to continue for the next week, with temperatures climbing to near 60 degrees on some days.
An active weather pattern begins on Thursday with several chances of rain that could continue into next week, according to the weather service.
