Wintry Mix Chances Arrives Late Friday, Warm Weekend Ahead

I, along with many other across the region, can't thank mother nature enough for the warmth we've had as of recent. The last four days have featured a plethora of sunshine with highs in the 40s, a warm stretch that we haven't seen since early December. And guess what? It's likely we'll hold onto this mild weather into weeks end, and also into the beginning of March. 

A ridge of high pressure slid in from the central plains overnight, resulting in a very dry start to the end of the work week. However, thanks to a little low-level moisture, areas of patchy dense/freezing fog developed ahead of Friday's morning commute. Patchy fog will likely continue into mid-morning, fully dissipating as temperatures quickly climb above freezing. This morning's round of patchy dense fog shouldn't be too problematic for those heading out, but I'd still allow extra time for travel. Now before heading out, grab your sunglasses. We'll hold onto the sunshine into Friday afternoon, ahead of wintry mix chances that arrive by this evening.

Sunshine, along with today's warm south-southeasterly breeze, will help high temperatures eclipse the 40° mark for the 5th straight day. While the daylight hours remain dry, clouds will be increasing late this afternoon with rain/snow mix chances quick to follow. Guidance shows a quick-moving clipper system sliding in late this evening,  bringing the potential for a wintry mix. Areas south of Highway 20 will see more of a chilly light rain event with this quick-moving system, while cooler air to the north may help mix in a few wet snowflakes. Snow amounts (if any) looks to remain minimal, with precipitation quickly coming to an end during the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning. 

As this weak disturbance pulls away from the area, any cloud cover that's still around Saturday morning will give way to another sun-filled and mild afternoon. Highs looks to climb into the mid-40s, before a cold front Saturday night brings a bit of cooldown for the end of the weekend. Don't be alarmed! We're not talking about a significant cooldown as highs Sunday afternoon will end up just a few degrees cooler in the low 40s. However, gusty northwest winds could approach 30 mph at times, so it may feel a bit chilly. The cooler air that filters in behind Sunday's cold front will make for a cooler start to not only the work week, but also meteorological spring.