High pressure Tuesday afternoon left us with mostly sunny skies, but not a great deal of warmth. Highs Tuesday warmed into the low 40s, just a touch below average for the 17th of November. But those numbers will soon climb as southerly winds push temperatures into the 50s for Wednesday, and low to mid 60s for Thursday.
The warmth, however, will come with an increasing wind both days. The difference in pressure between high pressure, that'll be over the southeast, and low pressure moving into the High Plains and Canada will cause southerly winds to increase during the day Wednesday, gusting at times around 35 mph. The wind may actually increase Wednesday night as the low level jet - area of faster moving winds about 5,000 ft above the surface, increases. But, as that wind begins to increase the sun will also be setting. And the lack of sunshine may help to keep the highest wind speeds elevated just off the surface.
Wind gusts on Thursday will also reach near 35 mph, but could at times approach 40 mph. Once again, temperatures will warm reaching the low to mid 60s area wide. As of right now, there are no wind headlines that have been issued for Wednesday or Thursday but the increasing wind, low relative humidity and warm temperatures could elevate the fire risk across the area. This means that there is a greater risk for fires to spread quickly, especially if left unattended. Even though we had a little rain this past weekend, overall it has been a fairly dry month with just a little under three quarters of an inch. The gusty winds will decrease Friday as a cold front approaches from the north.
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