Visitors to Sing Song will be greeted with well-above-average temperatures and sunny skies in Abilene this weekend.

Mike Johnson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Angelo, said an area of low pressure stationed over Colorado has caused southwesterly winds to blow into the area, bringing near-record-high temperatures.

“We’ve seen a pattern shift,” Johnson said. “Earlier in the month, we had a really cold pattern, and now we’re seeing an extremely warm pattern.”

High temperatures climbed into the lower 80s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-to-upper 70s through the rest of the weekend.

“Our temperatures over the last few days have been on the order 20 degrees above normal,” Johnson said. “The normal temperature for Abilene this time of year is 61 degrees.”

Johnson said temperatures are likely to remain above normal for the foreseeable future. He said there is a slight chance a cold front could move through the area on Sunday or late next week, but uncertainty remains with both fronts.

Winds are forecasted to be light this weekend, but Johnson said warm, dry temperatures present an elevated risk for wildfires.

“The big concern with this pattern is fire danger,” Johnson said. “We saw humidity levels drop into the single digits across the Big Country last week, and dry conditions are favorable for fires.”

Humidity levels are expected to rise to between 40 and 50 percent by Saturday, with a slight chance of rain that evening.

Dan Antwine, junior accounting major from Maypearl, said he is enjoying the warm weather this weekend, and he said he is glad the weather is not cold.

“I really like this warm weather, especially considering we are in the tent,” Antwine said. “It may get a little hot in there, but it is definitely better than being cold.