Strong winds will cause hazardous travel and blowing dust through theSouthwest this weekend. Downwind of canyons and over higher terrain, gusts arelikely to exceed 60 miles per hour.High wind conditions are typically experienced on the southern and westernflanks of a storm where the jet stream is aligned with the surface flow. Inthese quadrants of the storm, there is typically a substantial amount ofup-and-down motion which transports jet stream energy to the lower levels. Thisenergy comes down in a pulsing manner which is what causes the gusty nature ofthe surface winds.
In addition to becoming very windy, the entire area from the Continental Dividewestward can expect much lower temperatures this weekend. In Salt Lake City,temperatures will lower from the 70s to the 50s, and in Las Vegas it will gofrom 91 on Friday to 68 Sunday.
Snow, you ask? Yes, there will be some. The mountains of Washington and Oregonwill be getting several inches Thursday and Friday. By the weekend, snow canalso be expected in the mountains of Idaho and western Montana.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
