By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays set a record high on Tuesday of 81 degrees.

The previous record was 78 degrees, set in 1930.

Hays experienced strong winds and blowing dust on Tuesday, with the peak wind gust reaching 54 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/fb12bf81-5c9e-4940-b601-c8f0b08e15d9">Interstate 70 was closed for part of Tuesday due to blowing dust and an accident between Colby and Oakley.</a>

Hays and surrounding counties remain under a red flag warning today.

A red flag warning has been issued for all of southwest Kansas, starting this afternoon through Thursday night. 

The most likely timeframe will be noon to midnight, according to the National Weather Service. 

Expect southwest winds gusting to 35-45 mph, with low relative humidity of 15-20%.

Temperatures will also be unseasonably warm, with highs generally in the mid 60s today. Winds will begin to subside around midnight Thursday night, and high temperatures will dip&nbsp;into the 30s. 

Any ignition can quickly become a wildfire, spread rapidly, and exhibit extreme fire behavior, according to the weather service.

The high temperature is expected to drop to 39 on Thursday, with a chance of light snow on Friday and Friday night.

Overnight lows through the weekend are forecast to be in the teens.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637082592347.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixabay." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixabay.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays set a record high on Tuesday of 81 degrees.The previous record was 78 degrees, set in 1930.Hays experienced strong winds and blowing dust on Tuesday, with the peak wind gust reaching 54 mph, according to the National Weather Service.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/fb12bf81-5c9e-4940-b601-c8f0b08e15d9">Interstate 70 was closed for part of Tuesday due to blowing dust and an accident between Colby and Oakley.</a>Hays and surrounding counties remain under a red flag warning today.A red flag warning has been issued for all of southwest Kansas, starting this afternoon through Thursday night. The most likely timeframe will be noon to midnight, according to the National Weather Service. Expect southwest winds gusting to 35-45 mph, with low relative humidity of 15-20%.Temperatures will also be unseasonably warm, with highs generally in the mid 60s today. Winds will begin to subside around midnight Thursday night, and high temperatures will dip&nbsp;into the 30s. Any ignition can quickly become a wildfire, spread rapidly, and exhibit extreme fire behavior, according to the weather service.The high temperature is expected to drop to 39 on Thursday, with a chance of light snow on Friday and Friday night.Overnight lows through the weekend are forecast to be in the teens.

Hays sets record high on Tuesday; red flag warning continues today