Blustery winds usher in next dose of Arctic cold

Our next wave of bitterly cold air is knocking on our doorstep as a strong Arctic front surges southeastward across the Upper Great Plains.

Locally, we can expect this front to sweep through during the late morning hours. With it's passage comes the potential for a few snow showers along with a quick increase in winds. While accumulations are not anticipated, the winds that result may briefly cause fluctuations in visibility. 

Afternoon highs will top out in the mid to upper 20s around the midday hours, with chills sitting in the teens. From there, a cold and strong northwest wind takes over, gusting up to 40 mph. 

This will leave temperatures and wind chills tumbling into the overnight hours. Come Thursday morning, temperatures will hovering a degree or two above the 0° mark, with chills sitting between -15° to -20°. Again, stay out of the cold as much as you can. If that is unavoidable, dress in extra warm layers. 

Mix sunshine is expected on Thursday, though any sunshine that occurs won't have any impact on our temperatures. Afternoon highs look to peak in the mid teens, with wind chill values finally eclipsing the 0° mark late in the afternoon. The last of this Arctic wave will be felt Friday night as temperatures briefly fall into the single digits. East to southeast flow ahead of our next storm system will lift afternoon highs towards freezing Friday.

This warming trend carries on into the weekend with highs peaking in the upper 30s Saturday, then low 40s Sunday. Precipitation with this system may start off as a rain/snow mix late Friday night. However, warming temperatures will result in a transition to a chilly rain by Saturday morning, with chances turning more scattered by the midday hours.