CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginians will need to hold on to their hats Thursday afternoon into Friday with noticeable wind gusts in the forecast.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Zweir said southerly winds in front of a cold front will head into the Mountain State Thursday afternoon. Zweir said the gusts could reach 35 mph in the higher elevations to 25 mph in the lowlands. He said the frequency of the gusts will be noticeable.
“Normally here in West Virginia the winds die down at night but that’s not going to be happening as we head through Thursday night. They will stay steady through the night and into early Friday morning,” he said.
The gusts could make for some interesting trick-or-treating that is scheduled in most state communities Thursday night. Zweir said the wind will be strong enough to move unsecured items like empty trash cans or a patio umbrella. He said a lot of leaves will also come down but at least the temperatures will be warm. The highs are forecasted for the 70s Thursday and Friday.
Zweir said he can’t rule out an isolated rain shower Thursday or Friday that could produce wind-driven rain.
“There may not be a whole lot in the way of thunderstorms with these showers, but they could be tapping into stronger winds aloft, brining down very gusty winds,” he said.
The cold front will bring in slightly cooler conditions for the weekend.