Flying a kite this afternoon might require rope instead of string. More than 40 Iowa counties are under a Wind Advisory today. National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Kinney says to hang onto your hat, and everything else.
Kinney says, "We’re going to have a very strong southwest wind, increasing throughout the morning and becoming strongest this afternoon before it dies off later on this evening." He urges motorists to use extra caution on the roads today, especially those who are driving high-profile vehicles that might get whipped by the strong winds.
"Essentially, the northwest half of Iowa is where we’ll see the strongest winds with sustained speeds generally in the 25 to 35 mile an hour range," Kinney says. "This afternoon, we could see a few gusts between 45 and 50 miles an hour." The winds are blowing in a change in the weather.
After warm and sunny skies since Monday, the forecast for Thursday through Sunday calls for cooler highs, cloudy skies and likely rainshowers daily.