QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Tonight: Mostly cloudy, near record warm, low 64
• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, windy, chance showers, storms later, high 80
• Thursday: Slow clearing, cooler, daytime high 56
• Friday: Mostly sunny, high 59
• Saturday: Sunny skies, cool start, high 64

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Good Tuesday Evening,

It has been another mild day with scattered showers and storms mainly south of the city during the afternoon hours today. Expect mixed clouds through the evening hours tonight with very warm temps expected. Temps will slowly fall from the lower 70s back to the middle 60s by midnight with mixed clouds.

Clouds will increase overnight tonight with near record warmth, lows dropping to the middle to lower 60s (record is 63° in 1929). We will start off Wednesday with cloudy skies and temps slowly rising into the lower to middle 70s with just isolated pop-ups in the morning. During the afternoon we will see isolated storms popping up. Highs will top near 80 during the afternoon.

Some of the storms will be strong during the afternoon, with some severe storms possible mid-late afternoon to the evening hours. The Storm Prediction Center has upped the entire state to an “Enhanced Risk”, or a level 3/5 risk for severe storms. The main risk will be strong/damaging winds, with other risks including isolated large hail, and isolated tornadoes as well.

This risk will continue from the early/mid afternoon to just after sunset on Wednesday. Showers will continue in the forecast Wednesday night as the cold front pushes east. Temps will fall to the lower to middle 60s by midnight, with temps falling to the upper 40s by daybreak with cloudy skies. Thursday expect slow clearing and cooler temps into the middle 50s in the afternoon.

Friday will start a very nice several days with mostly sunny skies on Friday and highs in the upper 50s, close to 60. Saturday will start in the middle 30s, but push to the mid 60s in the afternoon under sunny skies. Easter Sunday looks great too, with sunny skies again and highs in the upper 60s.

A weak system will push toward our area on Monday, but moisture seems to be a bit starved. At this point, it appears we will have some more clouds, but temps remaining above normal near 70 for the afternoon high. Partly cloudy skies will be expected next Tuesday with highs in the lower 70s.

-Dave