Forecast Last Updated at Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 9:33AM

The Arctic Express Arrives this Weekend

A weak cold front will pass through the area this morning with clouds and snow flurries. Behind the front, colder air and tonight with a few flurries still possible. Thursday will be cooler, but not shockingly cold. The real cold air arrives this weekend. Another cold front will bring clouds and few rain and snow showers Friday night into Saturday morning (up to 1" is possible near the TN border and on the ridge tops). The big story, though, will be the cold. Lows are expected to drop into the teens Saturday night and Sunday night with wind chill values in the single digits.

Wednesday Hi: 39 Lo: 23 Cloudy; Turning colder; Snow flurries; NW wind 10-15 mph and gusty in the afternoon & night

Thursday Hi: 39 Lo: 25 Partly to mostly cloudy; Colder; NW wind 5-15 mph becoming light

Friday Hi: 43 Lo: 25 Becoming mostly cloudy; Turning colder again at night; Flurries or snow showers move in late Friday night (may begin briefly as light rain near the Blue Ridge)

Saturday Hi: 32 Lo: 15 Mostly cloudy and breezy; Much colder; Snow flurries possible during the daytime

Sunday Hi: 31 Lo: 15 Lots of sun; Rather cold

Further Out

Monday - Partly cloudy during the day with increasing clouds at night; Not as cold; High near 40 degrees; Low in the lower 20s
Tuesday - Mostly cloudy; High in the mid 40s; Low near 30 degrees

Forecast Discussion

A weak front passed through the area this morning with clouds and snow flurries. Behind the front, colder air moves in with flurries still possible. Snow accumulations will be negligible and mostly limited to grassy surfaces and higher elevations. Skies will begin to clear out on Thursday as high pressure builds in. Temps will not be drastically colder on Thursday, though (only about 5 degrees colder than today).

The real arctic air arrives this weekend with the next cold front. The front will approach the area Friday evening with a few light rain or snow showers possible. As the front passes, expect light snow showers or flurries. An inch or two is possible near the TN/NC border and on mountaintops. The bigger story will be the cold air. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will struggle to rise above the freezing mark while lows are expected to drop into the teens. Wind chill values could drop into the single digits Saturday night.

Beyond the weekend, the forecast is a bit more uncertain. A strong storm system may develop in the Plains and begin to approach the area early next week. With cold air in place it is entirely possible that some areas could see some wintry precipitation Monday night or Tuesday. Confidence in this is low right now, however, so stay tuned...

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