Here's When You Should See Your First 70- and 80-Degree Days

To find the answer, we took a look at when, on average, selected cities see the first 70- or 80-degree day based on the latest climate period of 1981 through 2010. We also examined when the earliest and latest each temperature was reached, based on the period of record.

(MAPS: Average Monthly Temperatures)

With average high temperatures, the South begins to enjoy springlike warmth in late March and early April, while areas in the Northeast, Midwest and interior West have to wait closer to May to regularly experience mild temperatures.

It's important to keep in mind that different regions think of spring differently. In the northern tier, highs in the 60s can be reminiscent of spring, as 60s are common average high temperatures in April for much of the Northeast, Midwest and portions of the West.

However, in the southern tier, many will wear light jackets or sweaters until highs top out in the 70s, and it may not feel like spring for some until it gets closer to 80 degrees.

Northeast Waits Until April

Most locations in the mid-Atlantic and interior Northeast experience the first 70-degree day by the end of March, with areas closer to Washington D.C. reaching that milestone in February. Parts of New England, however, don't normally hit 70 until April.

Most of the Northeast will wait until April to see the thermometer reach 80 degrees, with the earliest 80-degree day falling in March for most locations. The latest initial 80-degree day has occurred in late May or June for much of the region.

The first glimpse of spring has come as early as January for most cities in the Northeast. The earliest 70-degree temperatures recorded for much of the region is in early January; late January into mid-February is when many locations record the first 60-degree temperature of the year.

Temperatures still typically drop below freezing well into spring. Washington D.C. usually sees the last day at or below 32 degrees around March 27, while Burlington, Vermont, waits until May 7.

South Warms Up Earlier

The South enjoys milder conditions much sooner than the Northeast. Temperatures in the 70s typically occur in January for most of the region, although the latest 70-degree temperatures on record in Atlanta and Nashville are in early April. For many, however, it won't feel like spring until the temperatures climb well into the 70s.

(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)

Temperatures begin to warm up even more in May, when highs climb into the 90s for much of the region.

Cold overnight lows also end sooner in the South. Charleston, South Carolina, typically records its last freezing temperatures around March 8, while Nashville waits until April 3.

Mild Midwest By May

Portions of the Midwest, including Indianapolis and St. Louis, warm up much sooner than areas closer to the Canadian border, like Fargo. By mid-April, much of the region usually begins to shed the cold of winter and enjoy the milder temperatures of spring.

Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis typically see the last freeze of the season in mid-April, while Fargo normally waits until early May. This also coincides closely with the average first 80-degree day.

Warm temperatures can come early and much of the region has recorded 80-degree temperatures in March. Farther south in St. Louis, the earliest 80-degree day occurred on Feb. 1, 1911.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Fargo waited until June 21 for the first 80-degree reading in 1945.

When Does the West See Warmer Temperatures?

The interior West and northern tier warm up later compared to coastal areas of California and the Southwest. Los Angeles, for example, usually experiences temperatures in the 70s and 80s in January, while the latest first 80-degree day on record occurred in April.

Meanwhile, Seattle typically needs to wait until April before a 70-degree temperature is recorded, and until May for the first 80-degree reading.

Late March is when Billings, Montana, and Salt Lake City can normally expect the first 70-degree temperature, while Denver experiences its first 70-degree day around March 1.

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As you can see in the above chart, Denver just set a record for earliest 80-degree temperature on Feb. 10. This broke the previous record by more than a month.

San Francisco has less variation in temperature compared to many other parts of the U.S. Average highs range from the mid-50s to around 70 degrees, and lows are usually in the 40s and 50s throughout the year.