Brian Neben, Courtesy
HASTINGS — The area will experience a wide range of temperatures throughout this week and an active pattern appears to be in store for the weekend, but it is hard to tell if it will be thunderstorms or snow.
Rising heights ahead of the next upper-level disturbance in the highly amplified flow and developing strong southwest low-level jet will promote mixed conditions on Tuesday, per the National Weather Service – Hastings.
Mid to upper 30s during the morning should increase to highs in the mid-60s, wind conditions will be breezy out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph.
Relative humidity could drop into the low 20s and near critical fire weather conditions could be in place across the NWS Hastings area.
A backdoor front will swing winds to easterly on Wednesday and highs will be in the upper 40s in the northeast and 60 degrees in the southwest. The Tri-Cities will top out around 50 degrees, which is 10-15 degrees colder than just a couple days ago.
Thursday will see moderately strong return flow from the south ahead of a strengthening low-pressure system to the west. Temperatures will climb up into the 60s across much of the area.
Per NWS Hastings, potential weather impacts remain murky for Friday and into the weekend. Models are at odds with each other but seem to hint at a cooler, even colder and more active pattern.
Some models hint at the surface and upper-level low pressure system coming far enough north to pull in some unstable air on Saturday evening. If this occurs, thunderstorms could be in the mix.
However, once the waves move through, there is consensus for cooler temperatures Sunday and into early next week, with a few waves moving through and able to work with the colder air to produce wintery precipitation.
“Obviously, plenty of time to work on the details, but for an area that hasn`t been very active for majority of the winter, this time frame has consistently last few days looked like one to watch for possible impacts,” an NWS Hastings forecast discussion states.
