GILLETTE, Wyo. — Gillette will experience beautifully warm temperatures, but they’ll bring a friend — high speed winds.
Today’s warm up to 53 degrees comes as two fronts push against each other, creating a zone of compressional warming. The result also means Gillette will see a southwest wind 18 to 22 mph with gusts to 31 mph, increasing to 29 to 34 mph tonight with gusts reaching 48 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Rapid City, South Dakota. The low tonight will be 36 degrees.
A similar situation will be in place early on Wednesday as the high rises to 50 degrees by 11 a.m., and then falls to around 40 for the rest of the day. Winds from the southwest will reach sustained speeds of 23 to 32 mph and gusts could reach 45 mph.
All of that will happen ahead of snow chances Wednesday night when the cold front arrives. The forecast calls for a 50% chance for snow before midnight. Skies will be cloudy and the low will fall to 21 degrees. With winds from the north at 20 to 28 mph and gusts reaching 41 mph, wind chills will dip to about 8 degrees.
Much cooler temperatures are in store for the rest of the week as the cold block of air settles over Wyoming. Breezy conditions will continue Thursday as the high reaches 29 degrees. Winds will come from the north at 20 to 22 mph, and continue with gusts reaching 30 mph into Thursday night. The forecast low is 17 degrees.
Friday will be a tad warmer at 31 degrees. Gillette will continue to warm through the weekend, reaching as high as 44 degrees on a mostly sunny Monday, if the forecast holds up.
More on the forecast is available at the National Weather Service website.
