ENJOY IT: NICE WEATHER WON'T LAST LONG

If you haven't had the chance to enjoy the unseasonably fine weather of the last few days, you had better take advantage of it quickly.

With mostly sunny skies and afternoon temperatures in the 60s, it hasn't seemed at all like February. That could soon change.

Dr. Alfred Robertson, a former Southeast Missouri State University professor and local weather expert, said temperatures for this time of the year should be ranging from a low of 24 degrees to a high of 43 degrees, with daily averages of 34 degrees.

The average for the entire month of February is 47.2 degrees.

Robertson said Saturday's high of 62 degrees broke the previous record for the day of 58 degrees set in 1953. The Sunday high of 64 degrees surpassed the old high of 59 degrees set in 1987.

Though not a record, Monday's high of 63 degrees was well above the normal average temperatures for that day.

Today the temperature is again expected to be in the mid to upper 60s.

But according to KFVS-12 evening weather-caster Bob Reeves, don't get used to it.

"It's not going to last much longer," Reeves said.

The current mild conditions can be attributed to a zonal flow in the jet stream that is pushing warmer air into the region, Reeves said.

"The air is of Pacific origin instead of from the arctic like it normally is this time of the year," he said.

However, Reeves projects the jet stream will shift again, causing temperatures to cool down sometime Thursday. He expects temperatures in the low 30s with a dip into the mid-20s by Saturday.

"The arctic air will return to bring us back to reality," Reeves said.

Snow showers are possible on Friday, but no accumulation is expected, he said.

Temperatures should moderate sometime next week.

While there has been little precipitation in the area, heavy rains to the north over the weekend have caused the Mississippi River to surpass flood stage at Cape Girardeau in recent days. Flood stage at the city is 32 feet on the gauge.

The National Weather Service in St. Louis said the river was at 32.7 feet Tuesday morning. The weather service predicted the river would rise to 34.0 feet today and crest Thursday at 35.0 feet before dropping to 34.7 feet on Friday.