Another warm day prior to brief late-week cool snap

ROANOKE, Va. – Yesterday afternoon felt amazing in parts of our area, and Wednesday shouldn’t be much different. A west wind, combined with a mix of clouds and sun, will push many of us into the 60s for afternoon highs.

The only downside to a day like Wednesday is that pollen levels will be quite high, with maple, juniper and ash to blame.

Come Thursday, we’ll be tracking a system rising from the Gulf. There’s enough dry air in our region to hold off any precipitation during the day. However, as this system rides into the Carolinas, we may see a few showers or a brief mix near the southern Blue Ridge during the evening.

After that, our second system blows in from the west. This one will bring along cooler air, strong wind gusts and mountain snow Friday. As for wind gusts, expect them to peak between 30 and 45 mph throughout the day Friday.

These northwest wind gusts favor our west-facing slopes for more snow throughout the day Friday, with the possibility for a little spill over in the morning into parts of the New River Valley.

Afterward, we’ll still be cold and breezy Saturday. Sunday is the pick day of the weekend. We’ll see sun each day, but Sunday will be roughly 10-15° warmer during the afternoon.