Mid-December thaw on the way before unsettled weather pattern

Wednesday morning’s chill will be a distant memory by Friday when some reach the 60s

Upper air pattern by Friday, 12/11/2020

ROANOKE, Va. – Our cold snap continues Wednesday morning, as temperatures start out in the 20s. Some of us may have to break out the ice scraper before heading out in the morning. By the afternoon, however, a breeze out of the west will help temperatures rise into the upper 40s and lower 50s.

High temperature forecast for Wednesday, 12/9/2020

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We expect a clear sky after sunset, which is good news if you plan to check out the International Space Station flying over. It will pass between 5:47 and 5:53, reaching the highest point in the sky as well!

International Space Station fly-over Wednesday night, 12/9/2020

As we head deeper into the week, we’ll be on the warm side of a developing storm system to our west. Expect highs of 55-60° Thursday and temperatures even a few degrees warmer Friday and Saturday.

What we're tracking by Thursday, 12/10/2020

Most of each day will be dry, but this system will slowly inch its way closer to us and produce rain Saturday night and Sunday.

Weekend plans for Friday, 12/11 to Sunday, 12/13/2020

If this system slows down enough, we could see even more rain Monday with marginally cold air allowing things to possibly end as snow. Forecast data at this point is fairly unreliable, so be sure to keep checking back over the next few days for updates.


About the Author

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.