Strong wind gusts develop once early morning rain exits Friday

Stronger wind blows in colder air Friday afternoon into Saturday morning

ROANOKE, Va. – A strong cold front is moving through the area Friday, resulting in rain chances throughout the morning. Some rain may be heavy at times - especially in areas east of the Parkway where the air is warmer.

Rain expected through mid-to-late morning Friday

Once the rain exits, snow will pile up on the west-facing slopes. You might even see a few flurries in parts of the New River Valley heading into Friday afternoon.

Snow targets the west-facing slopes through Friday afternoon

This is a sign of the cooler/colder air that moves in during the afternoon, and it moves in on some strong wind. Gusts peak between 30 and 45 mph.

Wind speed and wind gust forecast for Friday, 2/17/2023

Given the wet ground, this could lead to sporadic tree damage or power outages.

This wind also adds insult to injury, leading to bitter wind chills first thing Saturday morning.

Projected wind chills Saturday morning

It’ll be breezy at times still Saturday, but there will be plenty of sunshine. High temperatures reach about 50 to 55°. As the wind shifts out of the south Sunday, temperatures will rise into the upper 50s and lower 60s.

High temperature forecast for the weekend of 2/18 and 2/19/2023

Next week is mostly mild. A front nearby could help trigger a few showers by Tuesday into early Wednesday. Temperatures will fluctuate depending on the front’s exact location.

Front nearby could trigger a few showers next week

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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.