Record high temperatures continued over the weekend, making this February one of the warmest in recent memory.
On Friday, Feb. 13, the recorded high was 63 degrees, a temperature that beat the previous high of 62 set in 1954.
But Saturday was one for the record books.
“On the 14th, we absolutely smashed the old record,” said Jim Andrus, National Weather Service observer for Cortez.
On Saturday, the temperature soared to 67 degrees, smashing the 1996 record of 62.
“We beat the record by a whole five degrees,” Andrus said.
To put things in perspective, the normal temperature for this time of year is about 40 degrees, and the record low for Feb. 14 was 7 below zero.
Andrus said a dry cold front has moved in and should cool off temperatures for a couple of days. A system is expected to move in Saturday or Sunday and could give this much-needed dry area some relief.
“I will believe it when I measure it,” Andrus said.
Meanwhile, the Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez has opened. Managers said it’s the earliest opening yet, and that they’re even watering some of the grass.