SIDNEY - Many cities broke record high temperatures, or came close to breaking records, Tuesday as above average temperatures settled in across the Nebraska Panhandle and southeast Wyoming.

Sidney set a new mark for April 11 when the high temperature reached 87 degrees. That broke a 46-year-old record of 83 degrees set in 1977. The average temperature is 60 degrees.

Two other panhandle towns set new records. Alliance topped out at 89, three degrees warmer than the previous record of 86 in 1996. Scottsbluff had a high of 92, beating the 1985 mark of 85 degrees.

According to the National Weather Service office in Cheyenne, Tuesday was the earliest 80-degree day on record for Cheyenne and the second earliest 90-degree day for Scottsbluff. 

Near record-high temperatures in the mid-80s are expected again Wednesday. Critical fire weather conditions are forecast for portions of the Panhandle and northeast Colorado. Outdoor burning is not advised.