Scores of northeastern U.S. cities just had their warmest February ever recorded

In many parts of the northeastern United States, Friday’s temperatures reached their highest February levels in recorded history. Cities that frequently are buried in snow enjoyed temperatures that soared into the 70s. Their residents, normally huddled up indoors, flocked outside in shorts and T-shirts.

The temperatures were more than 30 degrees above normal and typical of late May. They broke records that have stood for more than a century in many cities.

Boston, Buffalo and Cincinnati are just a few of the cities that achieved all-time record February warmth.

Below is a partial list of the cities that tied or broke all-time records for February warmth on Friday:

• Boston hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record by three degrees.
• Buffalo hit 71 degrees, tying the previous record.
• Springfied, Mass., hit 72 degrees, breaking its all-time warmest February temperature.
• Albany hit 71 degrees, breaking the previous record by a degree.
• Scranton, Pa., hit 76 degrees, breaking the previous record by two degrees.
• Binghamton, N.Y., hit 70 degrees, breaking the previous record by four degrees.
• Allentown, Pa., hit 77 degrees, breaking the previous record.
• Dayton, Ohio, hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record.
• Cincinnati hit 77 degrees, tying the previous record.
• Columbus hit 76, breaking the previous record by a degree.

Many other cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, not listed, set high temperature records for today’s date and/or hit highs that rank very close to the highest in recorded history for February.

Pittsburgh hit 76 degrees, just one degree shy of its all-time February high. Hartford, Conn., also posted its second-warmest February day, soaring to 72 degrees. And Washington, D.C., registered 77 degrees, its sixth-warmest February temperature ever observed.