February has brought record-breaking temperatures, from the dangerously cold wind chill factors to the record-high temperatures a few days later.
On Sunday, a record high temperature of 64 degrees was set in Aberdeen, breaking its old record from 1905 and 1976 of 60 degrees. Over towards Watertown, the warmest high temperature for the date on Sunday was recorded at 48 degrees, which beat the old record by one degree, which was set over 100 years ago in 1898.
Aberdeen and Watertown were not alone, with Mobridge breaking from the 1970s with a high temperature on Sunday of 63 degrees. Just about four days before, Mobridge had a record low temperature of -24, breaking the record set in 1936 of -23. This is a difference of 77 degrees.
Mobridge continued to break records during the cold snap, with another record low temperature recorded in the 1930s easily beaten with a new record low of -30 degrees on Tuesday, February 18th. Besides low temperatures, a record coldest high temperature on Monday also went into the record books with a high of only -10 degrees, breaking the 1936 coldest high of -8.
Another record set during the cold weather was in Pierre on Thursday, with a low temperature dropping to -19, breaking the 1936 record low of -15. Then, before Valentine's Day on February 13th, the city set another record of -19, the coldest low temperature since 2007, which had a low of -16.
All shared the cold weather with Sioux Falls, who also made the record books during the cold snap. On Tuesday, February 18, the coldest temperature for the date was reported to be -22, breaking the 120-year coldest low of -21. That same day, Sioux Falls had the coldest high temperatures with only a high of -1, which broke the record low maximum of 3 above zero from 1901.
Then, out towards the west, the Rapid City Airport also saw the coldest temperatures for Thursday, February 20th, with their old record of -16 being broken by a record low of -19 degrees.
Weather trends look to keep us away from the cold weather, with warmer air settling down over much of the country.