Much of the Heartland, from Dallas to Chicago, is under a high wind warning today as the latest spring storm pulls out of the Rockies. These south winds, developing ahead of the cold front, will prime the region with Gulf moisture, setting the stage for severe thunderstorms this evening and overnight.
While the warning advises of potential damage to trees, structures and high profile vehicles, the winds are also an omen of a dramatic change in our weather. Since they reflect a significant pressure gradient in the atmosphere, these strong winds warn us that the storm's low pressure is deep, that the clash zone will ignite potent storms and that the fall in temperature behind the front will be substantial.
Since the storm's center is now over South Dakota, today's winds will be warm and southerly. As this potent system moves on to the east and the cold front sweeps through the Heartland, the winds will shift from the northwest, ushering in chilly air and wrap-around showers. Here in central Missouri, we should reach 80 degrees F today; by tomorrow, we'll be lucky to stay in the fifties.
