Forecast: A Wind-Chilled Friday; Weekend Flakes?

Brief rain & snow possible late Saturday night

* Snow With Sunshine: The Pictures and The Explanation *

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly sunny & windy. Gusts to near 35 mph. Upper 30s. | Tonight: Mostly clear. Decreasing wind. Mid-20s. | Tomorrow: Sunny through mid-afternoon, then increasing clouds. Mid-to-upper 40s. Tomorrow Night: Light snow or rain? 30s. | Sunday: Partly sunny. Low-to-mid 40s. | A Look Ahead

FORECAST IN DETAIL

I don't mean to trumpet the precipitation threat Saturday night, because it may not amount to much of anything. But, I don't want you to be surprised if you see some wet snowflakes or chilly rain drops around "last call." Temperatures should be warm enough to prevent much, if any, accumulation. Otherwise, after a windy and cold day today, it will be a partly sunny and cool weekend.

Today (Friday): Winds gusting to near 35 mph through much of the day will only add to the discomfort of highs only in the upper 30s, despite mostly sunny skies. We may not be used to wind chills that will have trouble getting out of the 20s -- I think my body has acclimated to our somewhat warmer temperatures recently. Confidence: High

Tonight: Breezes should calm noticeably after dinnertime, settling down to near 10 mph or less overnight. Skies should stay mostly clear through the night as evening temperatures drop to near 30, then to overnight lows in the low 20s (city) and upper teens (typically colder suburbs). Confidence: High

What's the sccop on Saturday night snowflakes? Read on...

Tomorrow (Saturday): The bulk of Saturday looks nice but cool, with partly to mostly sunny skies and temperatures rising toward highs in the mid-40s, maybe upper 40s. Clouds stream overhead late in the afternoon as a storm system approaches from the west. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow Night: A light southerly breeze will chill temperatures as they fall into the 30s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. Around or after midnight and through morning, some wet snowflakes or cold rain drops could fall. Any precipitation should be on the light side, and as of now accumulation potential looks minimal at best. Still, drive carefully if you're out. Confidence: Medium

Sunday: After a chance of snow showers early, Sunday should deliver decreasing clouds and, by afternoon and evening, gusty winds. Highs head for the 40-degree mark. Confidence: Medium

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday night we'll feel some winter chill. Lows downtown will likely fall into the mid-20s, while suburban areas may see temperatures drop to near 20. Gusty winds will make it feel colder. Confidence: Medium-High

We stay cold on Monday and still breezy with temperatures struggling to reach 40 -- well below average for this part of the winter. Skies should be mostly sunny. Confidence: Medium-High

Tuesday highs around the mid-40s will be closer to, but still short of, our average highs (upper 40s to near 50). Winds will likely let up, and there's no sign of precipitation. We really could use some soon considering we're running about 2 inches below normal since Jan. 1. Confidence: Medium