Warmest day of the year so far, wind brings high fire danger

We've waited six months for this one.

The warmest day of 2014 so far is here. A gusty south-to-southwest wind boosts temperatures into the 70s today south and west of a line from Fargo to St. Cloud to Eau Claire, Wis.

The last time we hit 70 in the metro? Oct. 11. It seems like an eternity after our winter time warp.

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Seasonal confusion

Minnesotans don't know quite what to do this time of year. Is it really true spring? Is that the last of the snow piles on my lawn? Is it safe to put away the shovels just yet? The answer is very probably yes this year. Last year? Not so much.

Talk about pushing the season. Here's a great example of how we maximize the season called summer in Minnesota. Check out the scene I found at the Wayzata Yacht Club on Lake Minnetonka Tuesday afternoon. Yes, those are sailboats making use of what little open water there is -- with a sheet of ice still nearly a foot thick in the background.

 Grass fire season 

It seems just about any kind of good weather in Minnesota comes at a price. A warm breezy day in April means grass fire season is here.

Red flag warnings are flying today for most of southern Minnesota. Basically everywhere south and west of the metro is under the warnings for high fire danger.

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INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MORRIS...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. JAMES...FAIRMONT

407 AM CDT WED APR 9 2014

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST...AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREAS...LOCATIONS ALONG...WEST AND SOUTH OF A GLENWOOD...LITCHFIELD...LE CENTER...TO RED WIND LINE.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TIMING...MOST CRITICAL CONDITIONS EXPECTED BETWEEN 3 PM AND 6 PM.

* IMPACTS...WILDFIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY AND DRY FUELS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

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Sweeping air masses

Minnesota is at the center of a vast continent. The ocean of air above us has few restrictions. Air masses and fronts sweep freely overhead. This week is a good example.

Today's warm front is quickly shoved east tomorrow, as somewhat cooler (but still milder than average) air rides in on northwest winds Thursday.

Here's look at temp trends the rest of the week; 60s will still feel nice. The best chance for soaking rains come Saturday.

Cooler next week

Next week looks cooler than this week, but not frigid. No return to winter shows up on the weather maps at this point. Thankful for small favors. We'll take a few days in the 40s and 50s this spring. Temps may approach 60 again late next week.

Spring here to stay this year?

The longer range outlook suggests spring is here to stay this year. The output from the 16-day National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System has been consistent with temps at or above average in late April. That means 50s and 60s most days.

There are signs of another warm up into the 70s possible around April 21. The GFS has hit this scenario several day in a row now on model runs. Low pressure tracking across southern Canada and a strong southerly flow across the Upper Midwest? Here's the map for April 21.

The chances for a few soaking bouts of April showers look to increase. Good news for still droughty  areas of  southern Minnesota?

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Enjoy the warm up!