ROANOKE, Va. – We start off Thursday by tracking a weak disturbance moving to our south. This is just enough to spark a brief wintry mix for areas south of US 460 Thursday morning (see graphic above).
However, any precipitation has to overcome drier air in the lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere. So, we don’t expect this to be a big deal.
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Afterwards, we expect subtle improvements in our temperatures compared to Wednesday afternoon. Highs will range from the 40s in the New River Valley and Highlands to some 50s in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside.
The wind will kick up a bit once again, though it won’t be as strong as it was Wednesday morning. Thursday afternoon’s wind speeds will reach 10-20 mph with gusts of 20-35 mph west of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
As we head into the weekend, high pressure will come down from the north and cool things off. This will keep things dry as well through most of Sunday.
Highs each day this weekend will be in the 30s and 40s, with lows falling into the teens and 20s each morning.
Come 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.
With marginally cold air around next week, we’ll have to keep an eye on another system next Wednesday night and Thursday. That could hold the potential for even more wintry weather.
‘Tis the season! Stay tuned for more updates.