ROANOKE, Va. – A cold front has passed through the area, adding a wintry bite to the air Wednesday.
It’s only fitting that that will be the case on the first full day of winter. (Winter officially started at 10:58 a.m. Tuesday.)
Recommended Videos
Wind chills will be lowest in parts of the New River Valley and Highlands. Even during the afternoon Wednesday, it will feel like the 20s at times.
Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph will be possible in areas along and west of the Parkway, so hold onto your hats! Make sure your inflatable Christmas decorations are weighed down too.
Once the wind drops off, temperatures will do the same too.
Overnight lows fall into the low to mid 20s, with some isolated teens possible in parts of Bland, Pulaski, Giles, Floyd and Henry Counties.
Bundle up as you head out the door Thursday. We’ll be seasonably cool by the afternoon, with highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s.
That will change big-time, though, as we get closer to Christmas.
Christmas Eve’s highs will reach the upper 50s and lower 60s, as the wind starts to turn out of the west and southwest.
With a warm front to the north and high pressure to the south, we’ll be in perfect position for unseasonable warmth come Christmas Day.
When looking at weather archives, this pattern is analogous to Christmas of 1982. That’s when parts of the area saw record warmth on Christmas Day.
We’ll be close to that in a few of our zones this time around.
If Santa brings you a toy car, truck or bike, Saturday looks like a great day to give it a spin!
We’ll stay unseasonably warm through the first part of next week too.