SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It has been unseasonably warm these past few days; so much so, temperatures are breaking records.
On Thursday, South Bend reached, but did not exceed, the record high just before midnight, reaching 61 degrees.
The record for the warmest January 9th date was set just a few years ago in 2020—where the record high was 51 degrees. Earlier this morning, Michiana was in the warm sector of the low-pressure center. A cold front will sweep through today, dropping our temperatures by afternoon—opposite how daily temperatures typically trend.
Because of this, South Bend reached its high temperature this morning and soared past the previously held record by more than 10 degrees before 9 a.m.
If these past two days are any indication of how the rest of winter will go, we are in for a mild and spring-like season. However, winter still has some fight left.
Looking back at 2020’s winter season, warmer air and rainy conditions still lingered at the beginning of January — with highs in the 50s and over 3 inches of rain falling within 2 days.
However, things became colder and much snowier in February. Overall, the 2020 winter season ended with above average high temperatures and 20 inches below the normal seasonal snowfall total.
How will the rest of the winter season look this year? Inspecting long-range outlooks, there is no strong indication of above or below average temperatures, but there are signals pointing towards above average precipitation.
Whether that’s by way of rain or snow, is still a mystery. But at least in the near future, winter will return this weekend. For a more in-depth analysis, check out the ABC57 First Warning Neighborhood Weather Team’s Winter Knockout, to see if winter will return with a 1-2 punch.