On
December 21, 2005 the temperatures across much of the Great Plains and
the Midwest
warmed
to "above normal". For the next 45 days the temperatures remained
above
normal,
producing record heat and one of the longest streaks of above normal temperatures
ever
observed
in this region of the country.
In addition to the unusual and pesistent warmth, precipitation was below normal for much of the area.
The following maps produced at the High Plains Regional Climate Center capture the magnitude of this climatic event.
The record
breaking warm spell (heat wave) began on December 21, 2005 in Lincoln,
NE. The streak of
above normal
days ended on February 4, 2006 when the temperature was exactly normal.