ROANOKE, Va. – The wind chill dropped all the way down to 26° below zero in Hot Springs. Lower in elevation, the wind chill ranged from 0 to 6 below in Lynchburg, Hillsville, Roanoke and Blacksburg Thursday morning.
Recommended Videos
If that's not your thing, we have some great news for you. One of the benefits of being this far south is that these cold air outbreaks tend to not last as long as they do in places like Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
The jet stream will rise farther to the north, which will allow some relatively warmer air to re-enter the region.
In fact, we're forecasting highs in the 50s this weekend which is a nice step up from Wednesday and Thursday's weather.
But wait, there's more!
Ahead of a slow-moving cold front, the air may get even warmer. With the jet stream being placed so far north and a steady west wind coming down the mountains, we should see highs reach into the 60s.
The record highs for our area on February 5 are listed below:
75° - Lynchburg in 2008
74° - Roanoke in 2008
73° - Danville in 2008
67° - Hot Springs in 2008
67° - Blacksburg in 1962
In fact, we typically hit the 60s in the first week of February about once every two years.
Rain re-enters the forecast mid-to-late next week, before colder air moves back in.
Spring is still more than six weeks away, so don't count winter out just yet. Take this as a nice break from the bitter cold we've had to deal with at times these past two weeks.