Weather Watch: New Years Forecast

RED OAK — Day time temperatures will continue to be mild through the New Year, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Omaha.

Temperatures were in the 50s for Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, we'll have partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s.

Saturday, temperatures will be in the upper 50s, with a chance to break the daytime high record for New Years.

Winds will be breezy for Friday and Saturday, with gusts as high as 25-30 miles per hour.

For all but four days in December, the area has had temperatures above freezing. Not since Dec. 9 has Red Oak seen a daytime temperature below freezing.

Precipitation also hasn't been an issue. The last time we received more than a tenth of an inch of precipitation was Dec. 14. Red Oak has had snow in between that time, but there was little to no accumulation.

NWS cites several reasons why the area has seen warm temperatures. One is the lack of snow pack across not only Iowa, but also the Midwest and Central Plains. Another reason is the North Atlantic Oscillation, as well as the Arctic Oscillation, which can be explained here.

Temperatures will cool down a bit on New Years Day. The high will be in the low 40s. Monday, the temperature could drop to the mid 30s.

However, they could stay above average for the next couple of weeks, according to NWS.

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