Mount Pleasant set a new record high temperature Saturday, reaching 88 degrees and breaking a mark that had stood for nearly nine decades.
According to climate data from the National Weather Service, the previous record for March 21st in Mount Pleasant was 87 degrees, set back in 1938. Saturday’s temperature edged past that record by one degree.
The unusually warm weather was part of a broader early spring heat wave across eastern Iowa. Several nearby communities also experienced near-record or record-breaking temperatures as southerly winds pushed warm air into the region.
Forecasters say while temperatures will cool somewhat in the coming days, the stretch of warmth is a reminder of how variable March weather can be in the Midwest.