Temperatures warm as Southwest winds increase

 
Temperatures Thursday afternoon were much cooler than the last couple of days, settling only in the upper 20s throughout the afternoon.  A blustery northwest wind held wind chills in the teens making it feel even cooler.  The wind direction has now shifted around to the south and southwest which will actually allow temperatures to warm through the night, rising to near freezing around Midnight and then upper 30s by daybreak Friday.

The warmth, though, does come with the chance for a quick burst of snow which appears to move in after 9pm/10pm.  The snow won't last too long, only a few hours, but the quick hitting snow may add up to a slushy inch in some locations.  Southwest winds will also increase during that time, gusting 35-40 mph through early Friday.

As the temperature continues to warm overnight any frozen precipitation will begin to transition over to rain before daybreak Friday, with drizzle and light rain showers lasting through the morning.  This means any snow that did accumulate will likely melt away or only remain small, slushy piles by the time you need to head out the door in the morning.

As a second cold front approaches from the north the transition from liquid precipitation to frozen precipitation will occur again, with a mix developing by Noon before changing over to scattered snow showers early to mid afternoon Friday.  While accumulations from that will also remain very minor, reduced visibility with the snow showers through Friday evening may give a little bit of an impact on the roads during that time. 

Northwest winds will increase with the arrival of a much colder air mass Friday afternoon, dropping temperatures from near 40 degrees Friday morning down into the 20s and eventually teens late Friday afternoon and evening.  Wind chills will also fall throughout the day, hoovering right around 30 degrees just before Noon and then teens and single digits by late afternoon.  Northwest winds could gust as high as 35-40 mph during that time. 

The breeze will continue into Friday evening before relaxing some Saturday morning.  Wind chills Saturday morning, however, will have fallen to near -15 degrees in some locations.  High temperatures during the afternoon will only rise to 20 degrees.