Windy and Cold

So you think it has been windy today? A look at the map to the right certainly confirms that with wind gusts of 40 mph or more in some locations and sustained winds that have been blowing at 20-30 mph for much of the day. As we go through the overnight hours the winds will subside somewhat, but we still expect winds of 15-25 mph to start the day Sunday. Temperatures by then will be in the teens and low 20s so wind chill values could be as low as the single digits for some locations.

Fortunately, we will have lots of sunshine through the day Sunday, but the northerly winds will not settle down till along about sunset. As a result, we will struggle to get above freezing for a daytime high and temperatures will quickly fall as the sun goes down. If we stay clear, temperatures in the lower teens and perhaps even the single digits for the normally colder valley locations can be expected for Monday morning. There are some indications that we may have enough mid to high level cloudiness by early Monday morning to keep temperatures from bottoming out completely.

Those clouds would be a blessing and a curse. The blessing would be in keeping us from being as cold as would otherwise be the case to start the day Monday; the curse would be to keep temperatures from rebounding as we go through the day Monday. At least our winds will be much lighter on Monday and even returning to a SE direction by the end of the day.

Brisk southerly winds for Tues and Wed will create an enhanced fire danger situation, but will also start to moderate temperatures. Another cold front will be arriving later in the week, but the air behind it will not be nearly as cold as what we will have over the next few days. This system also looks to be moisture starved with only a slight chance of a few light showers.

Looking further ahead, the wind pattern aloft will not favor any more arctic outbreaks for awhile at least as the wind flow will favor a series of weaker cool fronts coming through from time to time. This transition may be short-lived though as there are indications that the pattern will start to amplify once again later in the following week.

So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot