A burst of spring heat in the US will unleash a rare threat of severe storms for the Midwest

(CNN) — Record-breaking heat will open the door to unusual February storms in the US Midwest this week, as radically different air masses collide.

Stronger storms will begin Tuesday, while much of the U.S. will be caught in a temperature roller coaster with significant ups and downs through the weekend.

These types of storms – which can produce tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds – can occur at any time of the year if the right atmospheric conditions occur. However, they are more common in early spring — May through July in the same areas of the Midwest and Great Lakes that are at risk on Tuesday — as warmer temperatures take hold.

Hundreds of daily temperature records and some monthly records could be broken between Monday and Wednesday across the eastern two-thirds of the US.

Moisture will increase in the Midwest and Great Lakes as spring warms as moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moves into the area.

Warm air and moist air are two of the three ingredients needed to form a hurricane. A powerful cold front associated with storms moving into the Midwest will serve as the third component and unleash severe storms on Tuesday.

A Level 2 of 4 severe storm threat is in place for parts of Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Damaged storms may occur in Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.

Disruptive storms appear to move through southwestern Michigan only by the evening, allowing many voters to cast their ballots for Tuesday’s presidential primary without rain.

An increased risk of severe thunderstorms in Chicago extends into late Tuesday afternoon and evening, while St. Louis has a similar risk from late evening into early Wednesday.

The main hazards associated with severe storms are damaging wind gusts and large hail, but a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

The risk of severe thunderstorms will diminish on Wednesday as the storm moves eastward. Rain with a few thunderstorms could drench the eastern half of the country on Wednesday, as temperatures drop across the central US following a cold front.

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High temperatures this Monday will be 30 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 1 degree Celsius) above normal over much of the central US. Temperatures in Minneapolis will be similar to May, while Dallas will be under the heat of 32 degrees Celsius, more typical of mid-June.

Unseasonal heat will spread in the eastern direction on Tuesday. High temperatures from the southern plains to the Great Lakes will rise up to 5 degrees Celsius above average. All-time high temperature records for February may be in jeopardy, especially in the Midwest and Great Lakes.

High temperatures will drop again across much of the region on Wednesday.

Temperatures in the central US could drop 1 to 4 degrees Celsius in just 24 hours.

The cold will arrive so suddenly that Tuesday’s stormy weather could end as a wintry mix or snow in Chicago by early Wednesday.

Chicago is expected to reach 15 degrees Celsius this Monday and 21 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, before dropping to -1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

In Minneapolis, low temperatures are expected to reach the single digits Wednesday morning.

Wednesday will be the warmest day of the week on the East Coast before a powerful cold front moves in and drops temperatures on Thursday.

And the meteorological whiplash won’t stop. The cold blast will be short-lived, as temperatures in the central US will return to near spring levels across much of the East on Friday and Saturday.

According to the Climate Prediction Center, warmer-than-average temperatures are likely in the eastern part of the US through early March.

Winter has become the fastest warming season in about 75% of the US as human-caused climate change has increased global temperatures.