Jimmy Settle

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Friday morning’s weather was the warmest in more than 100 years for this day of the year, according to the National Weather Service.

At noon, the temperature in the city was 78 degrees. The previous record high of 77 degrees was set in 1890.

The weather service said its expects the region will see temperatures into upper 70s and low 80s across Tennessee along with southerly winds of 30 to 40 mph.

However, this record-breaking weather will be interrupted by a much cooler and more-seasonable weekend — considering that it's still February in Middle Tennessee, after all.

There is also a chance for some strong-to-severe thunderstorms Friday night.

"There's a pretty good chance for those thunderstorms Friday evening. Just something to pay attention to if you plan to be out Friday evening. It will probably arrive here in the form of a brief line of storms. Right now we're not expecting any major damage from it, other than the possibility of a few trees possibly being knocked down, and maybe a few power outages," Herron said.

"It has actually been an unusually warm February throughout the U.S., not just here in Middle Tennessee. These thunderstorms Friday could extend northward all the way to the Great Lakes, and that's highly unusual because this is the time of the year when they're normally having heavy snows in that region," he said.

Behind the front, and after a weekend that should find daytime high temperatures back down into the more-normal 40s to 50s in areas around Nashville, Clarksville and the surrounding region, the coming work week will bring a return to temperatures in the 60s, to near 70, once again, Herron said.

"There are really no winter-like conditions for Middle Tennessee in the foreseeable future."

And with the official arrival of spring set for less than a month from now — March 20 to be exact — time could be rapidly running out for Old Man Winter.

Reach Jimmy Settle at 931-245-0247 and on Twitter @settle_leaf.