Tracking bitter wind chills tonight, cold start to the week
TONIGHT: Mostly clear and cold with lows in the lower teens. Wind chills a few degrees above zero.
TOMORROW: Mostly sunny, breezy, and cold with highs in the lower 30s. Wind chills in the mid-upper 20s.
EXTENDED: As strong high pressure continues to build across the region tonight, we can expect wind chills to drop to the single digits by Monday morning as strong wind gusts continue up to around 20-25 mph overnight. Low temperatures tonight are expected to fall into the low to mid-teens, driven by a tight pressure gradient between high pressure over the Great Plains and a deepening low pressure system off the Mid-Atlantic. Wind speeds are expected to range from 10 to 15 mph on Monday morning. These sustained winds, combined with temperatures in the low to mid-teens, will drive the wind chill to the single digits. Full sunshine on Monday will allow highs to get back into the low to mid-30s, with wind chills in the mid-20s during the day. There could be some limited potential for elevated fire risk as well as winds continue to gust to about 20 mph during the day. Winds will shift to the south by Tuesday morning as high pressure moves into the Ohio Valley. Tuesday is expected to bring the week's highest risk for elevated fire danger due to strengthening southwest winds and low dew point temperatures. High temperatures on Tuesday could reach the upper 50s, but winds could gust as high as 30 mph. A cold front will move through the area and stall near the Missouri border by early Wednesday morning. Low pressure will move along the stalled boundary Wednesday night into Thursday morning, bringing the potential for up to 0.25" rain. We may even see some wet snowflakes trying to mix in overnight into early Thursday. The rest of the week will be warmer than average, with cooler temperatures near 50 following the rain on Thursday, and warmth to end the week as we reach the mid-60s by Friday.
