We’re much warmer to start the day Thursday morning but it’s still cold. Wind chills are near freezing, so the coat is still needed. Today will be a variety of weather conditions from milder temperatures to gusty winds and rain. Winds picking up out of the southwest today will send temperatures climbing to the mid and upper 50s this afternoon. A few locations may even reach the 60° mark.

Gusts up to 30 mph will be possible this afternoon, then increasing to the potential of reaching 40 mph early Friday morning. This will lead to some wind whipped rain. A few spotty showers are possible by the mid afternoon. The rain will only increase in coverage as we head into the evening. If you have any evening plans, be sure to have rain gear with you. Off and on showers will continue through the late evening and then turn rather steady overnight. It will be a wet morning commute for St. Patrick’s Day.

The rain exits mid Friday morning, and as it does, we could even see a few flurries coming down as very cold air will be streaming into the state. Temperatures tomorrow will be at their warmest early in the morning and then be dropping through the day. Expect temperatures in the afternoon to have fallen to the mid and upper 30s but breezy winds will create a wind chill that feels near or below freezing. The parade kicks off at 11:30 AM Friday. While it’s looking favorable to be dry by this time, it will certainly be cold and windy.

The weekend will be cold. Wind chills Saturday morning will be in the single digits and we could even see a few flurries. That will be another rather windy day with gusts near 30 mph. Fortunately, the winds back off for Sunday but the temperatures don’t improve much. The weekend isn’t looking fantastic. However, we do have another warming trend to look forward to as we get back into the 50s mid next week.