No Foolin': 90s for Much of the Plains Today

By Bill Deger, Meteorologist

Apr 1, 2012; 5:53 AM ET

Air conditioners will be humming all across the Plains today as May and Junelike warmth surges north again, threatening many long-standing records.
We're not fooling when we say this warmth could make some people want to seek refuge in swimming pools.
High temperatures in the 90s can be expected over a large area encompassing much of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, and perhaps even a few areas in South Dakota. Elsewhere, the mercury will top out in the 80s.
These temperatures, some 20 to 30 degrees warmer than normal, are the product of a strong southerly flow which will reach its peak across the nation's midsection today.
This includes the Mississippi Valley and parts of the Deep South, where some records will also be challenged.
Dozens of records fell on Saturday as a result of the warmth from Texas to Wyoming and Montana, where colder air will arrive today.

While more records will fall over the Plains, parts Montana and Wyoming that experienced record warmth on Saturday will be sharply colder today in the wake of a cold front.
Adding to the summer feel today will be unusually high humidity levels, which will drive AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures up several degrees higher than the actual thermometer reading.
Dallas and Oklahoma City will experience some of the highest RealFeel® temperatures, in the mid to upper 90s. Farther west over the Texas Panhandle, and north along the western High Plains, temperatures may very well be warmer in some spots, but humidity levels will be lower thanks to a dry, gusty wind.
Cooler air will begin to eat into the warmth on Monday, but the mercury will remain well above normal, especially from Kansas on south. At the same time, the crux of the warmth will shift to the Southeast.
By Tuesday, the difference will be more noticeable over the Plains, with temperatures as much as 40 degrees lower compared to today in some areas.
A front emerging from the Rockies will be the catalyst for cooler temperatures, but not after pounding central Texas and Oklahoma with some nasty thunderstorms late in the day on Monday according to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Dan DePodwin.
In the meantime, such unusual warmth this early in the year can easily catch people off guard. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and take frequent breaks if you will be outdoors today in the heart of the heat.

No Foolin': 90s for Much of the Plains Today