Windy Week Ahead

It will be a windy week for much of the nation as a storm system moves across the country and drops temperatures up to 50 degrees.

The weekend featured quite the mini-warmup and preview to spring. Here in Denver we topped out in the 60s on Sunday.

The frozen upper midwest saw highs climb into the 40s, such as in North Dakota and Minnesota.

By Tuesday, some of those locations will see highs stay below zero!

So what does this huge contrast in temperature mean? A sharp pressure gradient, or large difference of air pressure over a relatively short distance -- and that translates into WIND!

It will be a very windy week for most locations east of the Rockies. I was rocked out of bed this morning here in the southeast metro Denver area by winds so strong the doggie door was almost 90 degrees to the wall, and the big area rug under my kitchen table was folded over.

I checked the closest automated weather observations to where I live and gusts were around 45 mph at the time.

I suspect that initial burst of wind was closer to 60 mph when I jumped out of bed -- honestly, I was afraid the bay window was going to shatter -- and there loose dirt that was hammered against it was incredible.


Winds may not be that bad where you live this week, but let's just say it may not be the smoothest week for flying or driving high profile vehicles -- white knuckled driving or flying as I like to call it.