Record warm to be challenged Saturday!

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

A man I once knew was famous for saying, "It's always warmest ahead of a cold front." Sound familiar? Well that man would be our Chief Meteorologist Scott Hetsko, and the saying holds true to a T this Saturday.

Ahead of cold fronts, winds adjust to blow parallel to the front. This is a complicated process to explain how and why it happens, but physics and pressure have a lot to do with it. Basically, it's Mother Nature's way of adjusting things so we obey the laws of physics.

We'll see a strong front drop through the middle of the country in response to a dipping jet stream, but ahead of it, southerly winds and an unusually warm air mass will combine to produce near or above record temperatures for parts of the eastern United States on Friday and Saturday. Right now, mid and upper 50s are a good bet for a lot of our area. With this strong warming though, we are looking at a lot of moisture entering the area, so sunshine will be limited and it is likely that we see a few showers from time to time.

But remember, the front has to come through, and it will in force on Sunday. Strong winds will press in the cold air and convert any rain over to snow through the day as temperatures drop back to "normal" levels. Enjoy the rest of the holiday!