Strong wind gusts in forecast Thursday and Friday for Modesto

The National Weather Service forecast for Modesto includes just a slight chance of rain showers Thursday morning, but wind gusts in the area could reach as high as 35 miles per hour Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday’s northwest wind should be just 5 to 7 mph, increasing slightly to 7 to 9 mph at night, the weather service says.

But Thursday, a northwest wind of 9 to 14 mph in the morning is expected to rise to between 20 and 25 mph in the afternoon, with those much higher gusts possible. Thursday night, intensity should lessen a bit – to 20 mph winds with gusts up to 28.

Friday, the winds are predicted to rise to around 23 mph, again with the gusts in the low to mid-30s.

The days ahead will be sunny and warmer thanks to an area of high pressure moving through Northern California. Wednesday’s high should be near 77 degrees.

Daily highs into early next week should be near 70 Thursday, 73 Friday, 77 Saturday and 79 Sunday, then falling to near 74 Monday and 75 Tuesday.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Strong wind gusts in forecast Thursday and Friday for Modesto."