Strong winds bring mild temperatures, but it won’t last long

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Much of the area with enjoy plenty of sunshine today, although a few clouds will roll through the northern half of the area this morning. Southerly winds will be increasing today with some of the strongest winds in central and eastern parts of the area. Those winds will be up around 15 to 25 mph with some gusts up to 40 mph. Look for much milder temperatures ranging from the upper 40s northeast to the lower 60s southwest. Winds will stay quite breezy out of the south overnight, which will keep temperatures elevated. Lows will mostly be in the 30s. Skies will be mostly clear in the evening, but some clouds will move in from the west after midnight. The early clouds Wednesday morning will give way to a lot of sunshine in the afternoon. It’ll be another day with strong south southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts to 40 mph. Very mild temperatures are on the way with highs ranging from around 60° northeast to the low/mid 70s in the southwest. Enjoy it, because change comes Wednesday night.

A cold front will come diving southeast through the area Wednesday night, moving through northwestern area through midnight. By sunrise Thursday, it should be through all, but far southeastern parts of the area. Behind the cold front, winds will turn northerly and will become strong. Temperatures will drop behind the front, so most will see their high temperature well before sunrise. Behind the front, rain will move in. As it gets colder, that rain will change to a snow. With the quick-moving nature of this storm system, it is looking less likely to be a major snowstorm of 6+ inches. In fact, 1 to 3 inches of snow will be more common for many locations. It’s also looking like the higher amounts will be over the eastern half of the area with lower amounts to the west and northwest. That said, where exactly the heaviest snow occurs is still a bit uncertain. Some isolated higher amounts are expected, so stay tuned to future forecast for a better idea of where that could be. Regardless of how much snow one area gets, nasty north winds will be blowing snow around like crazy, so poor travel conditions are expected at times. Winds will be out of the north northwest at 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 45 to 55 mph. The snow will push through the east during the afternoon and should be out of the area by Thursday evening.

The weather will be “better” Friday into the weekend, but not great at all. The winds won’t be nearly as strong, but will still be quite breezy Friday and Saturday. Highs on Friday will range from the upper 20s north to the low/mid 40s south. A shot of colder air dives south for Saturday with highs from the lower 20s northeast to the mid 30s southwest. Sunday will be slightly better, but still chilly with highs in the 30s for most of the area. Monday gets slightly better yet with upper 30s and low to mid 40s. The slow trend upward should continue toward the middle of next week. There is a chance some moisture could return for early next week.

Copyright 2023 KSNB. All rights reserved.