We're having a pretty mild winter so far. Forecasters are calling for temps in the upper 60s on Wednesday, Dec. 15. Before you grab your shorts and flip flops you might want to be prepared for strong winds heading to the Quad Cities too.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service of the Quad Cities have issued a High Wind Watch that continues for Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon. They say strong winds out of the southwest may gust around 60 MPH at times during this period, which could lead to difficult driving situations, objects being blown around, and possible power outages.

Wednesday will be very warm and windy over the area with high temperatures forecast to reach the 60s to around 70. This would be well above record high temperatures for the date at Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Moline. Winds will pick up from the southwest to 25 to 35 mph with gusts near 60 mph possible in the afternoon through overnight. 

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Many of you have adorned your yard with giant holiday blow-up Santas and snowpeople. You might want to consider securing those bad boys so we don't see them floating their way to Indiana. 

The last time the Quad Cities experienced warm temps on this day was back in 2011. It was 57 degrees. Normal high temps for this time of year are usually around 37 degrees. Welcome to the temperature roller coaster.

Enjoy the warm temps while they're here, but make sure all your holiday lights, decorations, and blow-ups are secure.

2021 Quad Cities Drive-thru Christmas Light Displays

Tis the season for awesome Christmas lights throughout the Quad Cities! It's always exciting to see everyone's hard work, but there are other light displays put up by city organizations and volunteers, and entire neighborhoods that you also need to see. This is the full list of drive-thru Christmas light displays in the Quad Cities area.

Should you Hide Christmas Presents in These Popular Spots?

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s not too late to start preparing! If you want to surprise your loved ones with a gift that’s sure to delight, make sure to hide it in an unexpected place that they won’t search first! From under their car seats to inside their underwear drawers, people tend to put their gifts in all sorts of strange locations. The last thing you want is for someone to come back from their Christmas break disappointed because they never found the gift you worked so hard on! 

So here are some popular hiding places.

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