We have a bit of a break in the action (not that there has been a lot of action of late) as another storm front approaches the region, scheduled to arrive Thursday. For Wednesday, partly cloudy skies will combine with a relatively warm airmass to give us a high temperature in the upper 50s. On Thursday, a strong cold front will kick up some strong winds (up to 70 mph in the wind prone areas of the valley and triple digit+ speeds on the mountaintops) and will bring some rain that will turn to snow in the valleys on Friday. Mountain snow levels will begin above 7,000’ Thursday and will fall quickly to the Lake Thursday night. Thursday’s high of 57 will crash to the upper 30s on Friday, and temperatures will stay chilly through the weekend.

Prior to leaving last week, I’d been talking about blizzards. True blizzards are one of the most dangerous storms there are, mainly because people don’t realize the hazard until it’s too late. My father grew up in North Dakota, and related countless tales of farmers who died when they neglected to tie a rope from their back door to the barn. With wicked winds and zero visibility, many would get lost within 100 feet of their houses, cries for help lost in the howling winds.