Dakota Downslope

Since my last post, we tied a record high on the 3rd, then shattered a record high by 5 degrees on the 5th. Impressive considering we have had a snow pack, but it goes to show what a strong enough downsloping wind out of the west can do. Most think of a southerly wind as a warming wind, and for the most part it is, but here in the Plains, a downsloping westerly wind is key to significant warming. Here is a good example from the 5th:

Through morning, winds were out of the west-southwest allowing for a much warmer than normal morning. Then for a brief period, winds switched to the south and the temperature dropped from 43° to 39° in an hour. Winds then switched back to the southwest and eventually west, allowing for warming once again to an eventual record high of 47°. Downslope winds were more prominent in western North Dakota, where some locations reached the low 60s for highs.