Weather

Wind-blown, unseasonably mild weather across the Heartland; colder air poised to the north

Across the Corn Belt, mild, breezy weather prevails in advance of an approaching cold front.  The front is connected to a low-pressure system, which early Friday was centered near Lake Superior and is producing snow in the upper Great Lakes region.  Pre-frontal temperatures could top 70°F later Friday as far north as the middle Mississippi Valley.

On the Plains, an elevated wildfire threat exists in many areas due to low humidity levels, ample fine fuels (e.g. dried grasses), and windy conditions.  Friday’s high temperatures will top 70°F on the southern Plains and could reach 60°F as far north as Montana, while wind gusts could reach 60 mph on the northern Plains.  Meteorological winter will soon end with less than one-quarter inch of precipitation having fallen during the December-February period in locations such as Garden City, Kansas (0.05 inch); Lubbock, Texas (0.15 inch); and Guymon, Oklahoma (0.23 inch).

In the South, mild, dry weather is generally promoting spring fieldwork, as well as the development of fall-sown small grains.  However, lowland flooding and excessively wet conditions linger across parts of the mid-South.

In the West, a dry weather pattern is in place, although cool conditions in the northern Rockies and environs contrast with unusual warmth in California and the Southwest.  Friday’s maximum temperatures will approach 80°F as far north as California’s Sacramento Valley.