Stay updated with WSLS.com's forecast as we approach an active weather pattern this weekend. From lake effect snow to a developing wintry mix, here's what you need to know.

Stay prepared for Southeast and Central Virginia's potential wintry mix with the latest update from Weather Authority.

Heavy showers moving in from the south will bring heavy downpours at times with a few cracks of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

Temperatures drop near or below freezing heading into Thursday morning

A system scrapes us to the south, resulting in a brief mix of sleet, snow and/or rain Thursday

Sunny skies bring mild weather for the end of the week

Wind gusts peak between roughly 25 and 35 mph Wednesday night into Thursday morning

It feels about 10 degrees cooler than average to end the week

While it’s not the best day for outdoor exercise, you can still drive around through the region

Zone forecast for Tuesday afternoon, 2/9/2021While we’re at it, let’s keep it up with some more good news (for most of you). Sunset tracker for Tuesday, 2/9/2021Now, if we could break out of this repetitive and messy wintry pattern, that would be helpful too. FutureTracker - overnight Wednesday into early Thursday morningAs moisture continues to ride in with a developing storm system, cold air slowly wedges itself up against the Appalachian Mountains late Thursday into Thursday night. AdPrecipitation types based on air temperatureEarly forecast data continues to keep the bulk of cold air (from top to bottom) pinned north of here. Expected precipitation types Thursday evening into Friday morningPlease keep checking back for updates on the forecast.

This is just enough to spark a brief wintry mix for areas south of US 460 Thursday morning (see graphic above). What we're tracking - weekend of 1/23 and 1/24/2021Highs each day this weekend will be in the 30s and 40s, with lows falling into the teens and 20s each morning. Weekend forecast for 1/22 to 1/24/2021Come Sunday night and Monday, we’ll be tracking a stronger storm system coming in from the west. If enough cold air lingers at the surface, we could see a period of freezing rain before a cold rain settles in for the day. What we're tracking - Monday, 1/25/2021With marginally cold air around next week, we’ll have to keep an eye on another system next Wednesday night and Thursday.