Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Windy & Very Cold Wednesday, Next Cold Spell Arrives This Weekend

Why So Windy:

Despite Tuesday's thick cloud cover, temperatures were still able to peak in the low to mid 50s thanks to a rather gusty southerly wind.

Gusty winds remain the big weather headline for our Wednesday. But this time, they will be blowing out of a much colder direction, which will result in a bitterly cold end to the month of November and to the meteorological Autumn season. When it comes to depicting wind strength, it's all depends on how tight the pressure gradient is at the surface. In today's case, the lines of pressure (a.k.a isobars) around northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin will be squeezed tightly in between a high pressure system over the central plains and the mature storm system over the Great Lakes.

Windy & Cold: 

As a result, wind gusts throughout the day will range between 30-40 mph. Despite the fact that this morning's cloud cover will gradually clear into the afternoon, these strong westerly to northwesterly winds will restrict highs to the upper 20s. 

If that isn't cold enough, wind chill values will remain in the teens, then drop into the single-digits around the time the evening commute concludes. Whether you plan to leave early in the morning or sometime during the afternoon, it'll be best to pack on those layers to beat today's bitterly cold forecast. With a mostly clear sky overnight, temperatures are expected to cool into the upper teens, making for another chilly start to the day tomorrow. Although winds gradually decrease overnight, there will be enough of a breeze present to keep wind chills in the single-digits. 

Next Cold Spell:

Improvements slowly filter in as we await the arrival of our next cold front. With a more southerly to southwesterly wind in place, highs will peak in the upper 30s on Thursday, then soar into the low 50s for Friday afternoon. 

Clouds are then expected to increase late Friday into Friday night as our next cold front slides in from the west-northwest. In a similar fashion to Tuesday's front, a small chance for a light shower or two will accompany the frontal passage. However, it's the cold air that filters in behind the front that will become the bigger headline. Highs Saturday will only peak in the low 30s, with temperatures falling to near 20° by Sunday morning. Like this week's cold snap, the one ticketed for this weekend will be brief as highs aim to climb back towards 40° mark both Sunday and Monday. 

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