Temperatures in the 60s Expected
By Stan Finger, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.
Dec. 4–Old Man Winter takes a vacation Bad weather is hammering both coasts, ice encases the Great Lakes region and now snow is bearing down on the Upper Midwest. Where, oh where, can one go for relief? Try Kansas.
In December? No joke.
Temperatures will climb into the 60s today on what forecasters say will be a great day to put up those outdoor holiday lights or just go “ahhhhhhh.”
“It’s going to be pretty nice,” said Andy Kleinsasser, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
The projected high in the mid-60s is nearly 20 degrees above the average high for early December in Wichita, and temperatures will remain above normal even after a cooldown that arrives Wednesday.
Monday’s sunny skies belied strong southerly winds that had most people bundled up. But Susan Howell was not complaining as she wrote tickets for parking violations downtown Monday afternoon.
“It’s warmer than it was this morning — I had to shed the inner lining of my coat,” Howell said.
Today will be sunny and dry — a striking contrast to the storms blamed for at least 16 deaths in nine states, from Colorado east to New York. And one of the strongest storms to hit the Pacific Northwest in nearly a decade was forecast for Monday night.
That storm reflects why Kansas has avoided most of the severe weather so far. By the time Northwest storms arrive here, the mountains have squeezed most of the moisture from them, Kleinsasse said.
Take late this week: forecasting models suggest there’s a chance of wintry precipitation, but Kleinsasser called it “a fairly slight chance.”
And by Sunday, forecasters say, readings could soar near 60 again.
Contributing: Associated Press
—–
To see more of The Wichita Eagle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansas.com.
Copyright (c) 2007, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.