CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just before 4 p.m. Saturday, Cleveland-Hopkins Airport recorded a temperature of 69 degrees, smashing the previous high for the date set in 1981.

Why so warm?

It's because of a combination of two major weather patterns. The first is a high pressure system, which dries the air out leading to some very sunny skies bringing in warmth. The second, is southerly flow. Any time the winds blow from the south, because Ohio is so flat, this can drag in warm air all the way from the Gulf of Mexico.

Not only did this pattern cause record temperatures for Cleveland, but also in Toledo, Mansfield, Akron and Youngstown. As temperatures continue to rise today, these records will change.

Records as of noon today.

Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have!

Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @kreardon0818.