Winds whip across Jacksonville today<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 If you stepped outside this morning, you know what I\u2019m talking about\u2014the wind has been something else! I joked earlier that it feels like being on a carnival ride at the fair, and my hair felt every gust the moment I left the house.<\/p>\n Today, The Weather Authority\u2019s Exact Track 4D radar shows wind gusts reaching close to 40 miles an hour in Mayport and about 28 in Jacksonville, especially near the coast. If you have small pets or maybe a hairpiece, you might want to pay them a little extra attention. With the wind picking up more by the water, it\u2019s the number one weather story for us at the moment.<\/p>\n Weekend brings a welcome warmup<\/p>\n There\u2019s good news as we head into the weekend. After a mild start this morning, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s (and almost 70 in St. Augustine!), we\u2019re looking at a warmup that\u2019s expected to make outdoor plans much more enjoyable.<\/p>\n By Saturday, highs are expected to reach the upper 70s\u2014right at average for this time of year\u2014and we\u2019re forecast to go above average by Sunday and Monday, with temperatures leading into the low 80s. Today, most spots will reach a high near 73, mostly cloudy, and overnight lows will drop to around 58, mostly clear. All in all, we\u2019ve got a fantastic weekend ahead, especially if you\u2019re tired of the wind and chill.<\/p>\n Rain chances low, drought still a concern<\/p>\n While the wind takes center stage, rain isn\u2019t expected to steal the show. Showers moving through are light and pretty isolated\u2014nothing to write home about. The latest numbers from The Weather Authority: about a 30 percent chance for rain today and dropping to 10 percent Friday. If you want to play it safe, a raincoat or poncho in the bag isn\u2019t a bad idea for a quick shower, but most of us will stay dry.<\/p>\n On the gardening front, Mother Nature did help water the garden with this rain, but our area is still facing drought concerns. Like many of you, I\u2019m following the advice to water the yard only once a week. Some of my neighbors are doing a great job, and their lawns show it! With lower rain chances sticking around, water conservation will remain important.<\/p>\n Share your weather photos with SnapJAX<\/p>\n