Looking Good!

The visible satellite image on the right shows what at first glance appears to be a cloud bank over the Panhandle into western KS. That is actually the snow pack which is still on the ground out there. You can tell it is snow because of the river channels which show up, particularly in the Panhandle, and which of course would not show up if those were clouds. Otherwise, pretty much clear skies cover the state and lots of sunshine is expected for the rest of the week as well.

The frosty start this morning has been replaced by a nice warm-up this afternoon due to the sunshine and a brisk southerly wind. That will be the case again Thursday and with a warmer start in the morning and daytime highs in the 60 during the afternoon. A weak wind shift will be moving through on Friday shifting our winds back to a northerly direction, but there will not be any active weather associated with it and temperatures will still be well above normal.

Saturday looks almost balmy with a return to southerly winds and highs well into the 60s so the year will end on a very mild note. Another, stronger cool front will arrive by early Sunday shifting our winds back to northerly and bringing temperatures closer to the seasonal norms by Monday. This system also looks to be moisture starved so the New Year will get off to a pleasant start the way things are looking with daytime highs back into the 40s by Mon and Tues. In fact, a quick return to southerly winds should result in another nice moderating trend for the rest of that week as well. Keep in mind, a normal daytime high for this time of year is 47.

Eventually, this quiet, mild weather pattern will change and we are keeping a close eye on possible developments beyond this forecast time frame. There have been hints that some very cold air may come our way that second week in January, but a lack of consistency keeps those developments in doubt. So, enjoy this fine weather while the opportunity presents itself.

As always, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot