Record Warmth, Spring Fever in the Plains, South and East (RECAP)

Spring has sprung, or at least it felt that way, as unseasonably warm air brought April and May-like temperatures to much of the country. 

By mid-February, we understand your itchiness for spring. You see 70s on the map nearly every day somewhere else, before shuffling outside to shovel your driveway. Your retired neighbor is gone for weeks at a time. You hear the phrase, "pitchers and catchers report."

Last weekend, parts of the Northeast shivered through one of their coldest mornings in decades. Then Winter Storm Olympia dumped over a foot of snow in parts of the interior Northeast. 

(RECAPS: Record Cold in the Northeast | Winter Storm Olympia)

Instead of taking a cold, southward plunge deep into the East, the jet stream has flattened out this week, allowing some of the West's warmth to spread east. This stretch of above-freezing temperatures has even allowed some significant melting of the existing Midwest and Northeast snowpack. 

Below is a closer look at some notable records from the recent heat.

Thursday's Record-Shattering Heat

The Thursday morning forecast discussion from the National Weather Service in Dodge City, Kansas, put Thursday's heat in context best:

"Heat in February?! Yes. The atmosphere recognizes no calendar. Break out the shorts and flip flops and turn on that AC because it is going to be very hot today. Records will likely be annihilated."

Dozens of daily record highs were shattered in the Plains on Thursday, with some all-time February records broken, as well. Lamar, Colorado experienced their warmest meteorological winter (Dec. to Feb.) temperature on record after reaching 86 degrees Thursday, according to wunderground.com blogger Bob Henson.

Temperatures Thursday afternoon reached 90 degrees as far north as central Kansas, with widespread highs 25 to 35 or more degrees above average over the central Plains. 

Other daily record highs were broken or tied across the region, such as Lubbock (87 degrees); Amarillo (86 degrees); El Paso (85 degrees); Concordia (79 degrees); Topeka (78 degrees); Wichita (77 degrees); Springfield, Missouri (74 degrees, tied); Denver (73 degrees).

Goodland, Kansas, along Interstate 70 in far northwest Kansas, reached the 80-degree mark Thursday for only the fifth February day on record, there, dating to 1895.

Roswell, New Mexico joined the 90-degree club for the earliest date on record Thursday, easily eclipsing the previous earliest 90-degree day of March 2, 1967.

In addition to the record-breaking temperatures, several grass fires and wildfires were reported from the High Plains to the Missouri Valley on Thursday.

(MORE: Outbreak of Wildfires Across Central States)

Friday's Record Warmth

Daily record highs were set at Lubbock (85 degrees); El Paso (81 degrees, tied); Tulsa (78 degrees); St. Louis (77 degrees); Springfield, Missouri (72 degrees); Flint (61 degrees); Bismarck (60 degrees); Lansing, Michigan (60 degrees, tied).

Record warm low temperatures were set at Austin, Texas (64 degrees, tied); Lincoln, Nebraska (46 degrees); Russell, Kansas (45 degrees); Hastings, Nebraska (41 degrees).

Saturday Stays Warm

Additional records highs were set at Lubbock (84 degrees); Columbia, Missouri (76 degrees); Kansas City (73 degrees); Zanesville, Ohio (70 degrees); Dayton, Ohio (69 degrees).

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: February Destinations (PHOTOS)