Temperatures in Greater Portland reached 79 degrees on Saturday, making it the hottest April 19 on record.

While many Portlanders were out in the sun scrambling for Easter eggs or protesting President Donald Trump’s policies, the weather shattered the previous high temperature record of 75 degrees recorded in 1973, according to the National Weather Service office in Gray.

Only a week ago, the city received a quarter of an inch of snow. While Saturday’s temperatures were unusual, unpredictability during this time of year is not, said Stephen Baron, a meteorologist at the weather service — and the record-breaking temperature does not necessarily mean warm weather is ahead for spring in Portland.

“Our weather is very variable in the spring and fall. So, it’s tough to say if this will be the trend for however long. It can change pretty easily,” Baron said.

The average high temperature in Portland on April 19 is 55 degrees, and the average low is 37. But Saturday’s temperatures more closely resembled the average high in the middle of summer.

“Seventy-nine (degrees) is usually the average high that we see around July 4 in Portland,” Baron said.

The high temperatures were quickly replaced by high winds. On Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the state, as northwest winds reached 20 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph.

Additionally, the weather service declared a red flag warning for fire danger along the coast from Bar Harbor to New Hampshire and as far inland as Norway. According to Baron, red flag fire warnings are triggered a factor of three conditions that can contribute to the spread of fires: gusts of wind greater than 25 mph, dry air with relative humidity less than 30%, and the dryness of fire fuels, such as grass and wood.

“Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended,” read the alert from the weather service.

The Maine Forest Service also reported a very high risk of fires across the southern half of Maine, with high risk to the north. Fire officials are advising Mainers to take extra precautions with any fire-related activities this time of year, as increasing temperatures and newly exposed brush can increase the likelihood of a fire starting or spreading.

“We want citizens and visitors to be safe with fire to help avoid a catastrophic event here in Maine,” Scott Doyle, spokesman for Raymond Fire & Rescue, said last week.