Folks in Missouri had some wild weather on Thursday as frigid air from the northern Midwest slammed into the mass of warm air that's brought unusually balmy weather to the Southeast.

At one point, Missouri was being hit by freezing rain, sleet, thunder sleet and spring-like thunderstorms that prompted tornado warnings -- all at the same time.

As of 1 p.m., there was a 61 degree Fahrenheit difference in temperature across the state, with a range from 7 F north of Kansas City to 68 F in the southeast bootheel.

"When you have such a major contrast in temperatures across the US, in the middle you are going to find some crazy weather. It is literally where two air masses are waging a war," CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

The temperature differences on Thursday were particularly extreme.

More than 50 record highs were predicted for the afternoon, while bitter cold continued in the northern Midwest.

Minot, North Dakota, is expecting a high of -10 F on Thursday, while a record 80 F is forecast for Charleston, South Carolina.

The difference is even more dramatic when you factor in windchill and the heat index.

It will feel like -45 F in Minot and the mid-80s in Charleston.

Temperatures will return to normal in much of the East as the cold air moves through. Memphis, Tennessee, was expecting a high of 72 F on Thursday and a low of 24 F.