Weather to warm your tootsies by

Kick off your boots. It's flip-flop weather again, as winter temperatures toe the line to yet another record high today.

The National Weather Center forecast called for a high in the low 70s today. That means it won't take much to trump the 2005 record of 71 degrees. But don't expect another quadruple-jackpot like the four-day run of records set last month.

Monday's toe-baring warmth fell short of the mark. The high at Raleigh-Durham International Airport was 72 degrees, according to the National Weather Service -- not quite enough to break the 1946 record of 74, but it was far better than last year's 66 degrees.

And if today's high barely nudges the 70s, it'll still be better than last year's high of 67.

STUCK IN THE OFFICE? You may be out of luck, as the long-term forecast calls for the daytime highs to drop steadily through the week, with a chance of showers Wednesday through Friday. By Saturday afternoon, the weather should be sunny again, with an expected high of 57 -- not too shabby, but you'll need to put your socks back on.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR OPEN WINDOWS? Lots of color, as flowers and trees bud and bloom early, says Mark Weathington, the assistant director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at N.C. State University.

Daffodils are already blooming, well ahead of their late-winter or early-spring debut, he said. Cherry trees are also showing color. The buds on some spruces and witch hazels are starting to swell and elongate. And the bees are working overtime.

This sneak preview will mean an early death for flowers of some plants, such as magnolias, Weathington says. Plant lovers often bemoan that trade-off, he says. But he doesn't waste time grieving.

"There isn't a whole lot that can be done about it," he says. "I always tell people that lots of things will be flowering in spring."

WHERE ELSE IS IT THIS WARM? Close your eyes, and you can pretend you're in Peru. Today's forecast for Lima was 75 degrees.