Weather is the one thing we all share no matter race, ethnicity, education, or socio-economic class. Weather events change the course our lives in dramatic and sometimes tragic ways. We, as humans, often fear weather events for good reason; where extreme weather hits, misery soon follows. Over generations, we have learned to respect the dangers that are often only realized in the wake of extreme weather events.
We are emerging from one of the most tragic cold spells in recent memory. The prolonged sub-zero weather brought by extreme polar vortex irregularity was deadly. More than 70 people lost their lives to the extreme cold including one of our own. The freezing winds pushed wind-chill temperatures lower than -32° with a recorded temperature of -1 the night Justin Reede was found. The dangers that cold weather brings cannot be understated.
The worst of the 2020-2021 winter is now behind us. Spring is literally just around the corner. Yes, there will a few more cold fronts to move through but there is not likely to be much in the way of precipitation.
NOAA issued a high wind advisory as this paper went to press. Wind gusts in excess of 50 mph are expected Thursday. Safety precautions are recommended. Fire risk is high.
High winds will continue through Friday as the heart of a low-pressure system will move through the area. On a somewhat brighter note, the winds are blowing in a warm, dry high-pressure system from the west through early Saturday morning. Expect 10-25 mph winds.
Temperatures will reach 46° on Friday, stay in the upper 30s through the weekend, move into the 40s on Monday and Tuesday. They will top out in the low 50s on Wednesday. There will be mostly sunny skies all week with very little chance of precipitation.
Night temperatures will fall well below freezing every night this week. Fog is possible in the early mornings as the ground temperature rises. Black ice and ice on bridges is likely.
The highest chance of rain/wintery-mix is at sunrise on Saturday at 23%. There is also a 10% chance of winter-mix Tuesday night. Conditions indicate the possibility of pop-up thunderstorms as a high-pressure system moves through this weekend and drops dramatically on Monday with a low-pressure front, just for the day. But it will return at the end of the week; though the chance of thunderstorms is fairly small, it is worth noting.
There will be plenty of sunshine this week and the winds are going to be kicking. Though temperatures are warming, we all know that the wind takes the heat right off of a person. Please keep this in mind as you venture out into the world. Hypothermia can set in even in temperatures that seem mild but are in fact just as deadly as sub-zero. Please take appropriate precautions like dressing in layers and wearing a hat.
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