INDIANAPOLIS — Buckle up for a wet and windy ride over the next 24 hours. All is quiet at this hour, but that quickly changes before midnight.
As expected, a rare High Wind Warning was issued for areas along and north of I-70, including Indianapolis for the first time in nearly two years. Though technically a High Wind Warning would've been issued in December, but it was encompassed into a Winter Storm Warning.
Please note, that everywhere in the WTHR viewing area will be windy Thursday and everywhere has wind damage/power outage potential. It's those places within the High Wind Warning that have the greater probability of wind gusts of 60+ mph.
We fully expect areas of downed trees and power outages area-wide especially between the hours of 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday regardless of if you're in a High Wind Warning or Wind Advisory.
Prior to the strongest wind arriving, expect widespread rain to overspread central Indiana between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. This initial bursts of rain before midnight may have some thunder, but stronger storm potential arrives with a strong cold front sweeping through the state between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m.
The airmass ahead of that front will be unseasonably mild with temperatures near/above 60° for several hours overnight to around 7 a.m. in Indy.
Expect rapidly dropping temperatures after the front passes and we'll be in the 40s quickly before noon Thursday.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are possible within heavier showers/thunderstorms along the front with embedded 60+ mph gusts.
The widespread, long duration of non-thunderstorm gusts from the strengthening wind field is what will cause most problems over a large area. There will definitely be power outages, it's just a matter of how many and where they'll be focused.
The wind eases Thursday night as the strong storm center moves away from us. Taking its place will be seasonably colder air Friday with a combination of rain and snow.
Expect a brightening sky for the weekend with near-normal highs Saturday in the 30s to the upper 40s to finish Sunday afternoon.
We're still bullish on another dose of unseasonably mild air much of next week which equates to most days in the 50s and possibly a few 60°+ days before next weekend.
