GILLETTE, Wyo. — The potential for elevated fire weather conditions will exist today and Thursday before a strong cold front brings more winds on Thursday.
The National Weather Service in Rapid City, South Dakota, says unseasonably warm temperatures, dry conditions and breezes will combine for the elevated fire danger today. Today’s forecast calls for a high of 64 with southwest winds of 11–18 mph and gusts as high as 26 mph. Skies will be sunny and clear. Tonight, the low will fall to around 35. Skies will be mostly cloudy, and southwest winds will pick up to 23–29 mph, with gusts of up to 40 mph possible.
Thursday temperatures will be starkly lower as a strong cold front crosses through the area. Northwesterly winds of 21–26 mph are expected, decreasing to 9–14 mph in the afternoon. Gusts of up to 38 mph are forecast. Thursday’s high will reach about 47 before quickly falling to 33 by 5 p.m.
Thursday night will be mostly clear with a steady temperature around 30 degrees, according to the forecast. Windchill values will be as low as 19 as winds come from the south at 7–13 mph.
The cold front is expected to quickly pass through the area, resulting in Friday highs returning to the 50s. Gillette should see a high of 53 under sunny skies. Overnight, skies will remain mostly clear as the low nears 29.
Saturday should bring mostly sunny skies in with a high near 55, followed by partly sunny skies Sunday and a high near 52. Saturday night’s low will be near 32 while Sunday night’s will fall to about 27. There’s also a chance of rain and snow before 11 p.m. Sunday.
Cooler temperatures are expected at the beginning of the next work week with a Monday high of 41. That will rise to about 49 on Tuesday, if the forecast holds up.
More on the weather is available from the National Weather Service in Rapid City.
