Update: Syracuse broke the Feb. 9 high-temperature record just before 2 p.m. today.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Temperatures today could soar to almost 60 degrees in Syracuse, possibly beating a record that has stood for 99 years.
The high temperature this afternoon in Syracuse is expected to be 59 degrees, the National Weather Service predicts. That would tie the Feb. 9 record of 59, set in 1925.
It’s very possible that the final temperature could surge even higher and set a new record. That depends on how much sun the clouds allow through today. There’s a chance of a few sprinkles, but skies should be mostly sunny.
Saturday will be a few degrees cooler than today, but still potentially record-setting because the Feb. 10 record is lower than today’s. The forecast calls for a high of 55 on Saturday; the record is 56, set in 2001.
Thursday’s high was also in the 50s, but not record-breaking.
The late-week warmth continues the trend of this winter, which so far is the third-warmest on record in Syracuse. The last time the winter started this warm was 1933 -- more than 90 years ago.
The abnormal warmth is due largely to a particularly strong El Nino, the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. An El Nino can alter global weather patterns and generally brings warm conditions to the northern tier of the United States.
The warm winter has also meant very little snow. So far, Syracuse has had just about 28 inches; the average by now is 83 inches.
A colder trend kicks in on Sunday, when the high will be about 40 degrees. By Monday night and Tuesday, there’s a chance for a few inches of snow. Temperatures aren’t expected to be higher than the mid 30s through at least mid-week.