Yes, Indianapolis could break a heat record in February. A meteorologist explains why

Last week, Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, and the groundhog might have been on to something.

Central Indiana is on the verge of breaking a heat record in February with temperatures inching close to 66 degrees, a record last set in 1894 and again in 1943.

"It's gonna be close," said NWS meteorologist Mike Ryan about Indianapolis breaking a heat record. "We got to 65 yesterday and we should be fairly similar to that Friday."

Whether Indianapolis breaks a heat record will depend on how long cloudy conditions remain over Central Indiana, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. Highs Friday are expected to reach into the mid 60s while cooler temperatures Friday evening won't dip below the 50s.

Why is Indianapolis so warm today?

Ryan said it's not unusual for Midwest temperatures to climb into the 60s in February, but doing so this early isn't what most people necessarily expect. The reason for Friday's warmer than normal weather, he said, is because of the Jetstream.

"We have a very, very strong ridge of the Jetstream over the eastern part of the country right now and it's enabling warmer air to move northward," Ryan said. "That's why we're warmer. In the western part of the country, there's a trough in the Jetstream and those cooler temperatures will eventually move east into our area."

Ryan said February's highs next week will return to the mid to low 40s, with some days possibly seeing temperature highs in the upper 30s, which is more typical he said for this time of year.

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What's the weather forecast for Central Indiana?

Here's the latest weather forecast for the Indianapolis area, according to NWS.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 9-14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Friday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South southwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a steady temperature around 50. West southwest wind around 10 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Northwest wind around 9 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Northeast wind around 7 mph. Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. North northeast wind 8 to 10 mph.

Monday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Northeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Monday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. West northwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

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John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Weather forecast for Indianapolis Friday could break heat record