80′s Wednesday-60′s by Thursday for central Arizona

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A fantastic Tuesday across the Valley with sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 70s as high pressure briefly builds across the region. Look for mostly clear skies tonight with a low in the lower 50s. Another mostly sunny day will be on tap for Wednesday, with highs in the low 80s across the Valley, the warmest it has been for the past two weeks.

However, the sunshine and warm temperatures will not last long as we are tracking another spring storm system. Winds will pick up slightly across the Valley Wednesday afternoon from the southwest signaling a pattern change. A Wind Advisory will go into effect for much of northwestern and northern Arizona from 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Wind gusts up to 50mph from the southwest are possible as a low-pressure system drops into the region from the Pacific Northwest. That will also be followed by a High Wind Watch for much of east-central Arizona late Wednesday and into Thursday afternoon for possible damaging wind gusts of up to 65mph in places like Show Low, Greer, Pinetop, Springerville, and St. Johns.

The High Country has a shot at snow, 1-3″ possible in the Flagstaff area and a bit more in the upper elevations from this cold storm. We have a 20% chance for showers, mostly on Thursday afternoon. Morning sprinkles are possible but look for a little bit of measurable rain in the upslope areas north and east of the Valley. Winds will increase with gusts up to 30mph in the afternoon. Look for this fast storm to quickly clear the Valley by Thursday night, with mostly sunny and warmer conditions by Friday.

With highs rebounding into the lower 70s by Friday, sunny and dry conditions will prevail throughout the weekend. Upper 70s should be in order for Saturday, and highs nearing seasonal temperatures by Sunday and Monday.

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