After a week of bitter cold weather, including a couple of days of record cold, unseasonably mild spring-like weather is returning to the area.

According to the National Weather Service, the following record low temperatures were set in Salina last week:

• Wed Feb 22:  New Low -7  / Old Record  -3 1978
• Thurs Feb 23 New Low -10 / Old Record 0 1918

The Salina area recorded 172 consecutive hours, or a little over 7 consecutive days, of sub-freezing temperatures below 32 degrees. About four inches of snow also fell across the area.

The strong polar vortex which ushered in the record cold is being replaced by a warming trend. All this week high temperatures are forecast to be in the uppers 50s and lower 60s.  A normal high for this time year is right around 50.

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