ROANOKE, Va. – Much like we did in Sunday’s weather article, we’ll go in reverse order to highlight a pair of storm systems first. Then, we’ll talk more about the immediate forecast.
Two Turtle Dov---uhh---Storm Systems
Later this week, we’re dealt with a one-two punch of storm systems.
The first one arrives Wednesday night into Thursday as it rides the East Coast. This will likely produce mixed precipitation along and west of the Parkway. While amounts look light, this could lead to slick travel Thursday morning before temperatures rise above freezing area-wide.
Areas east of the Parkway see mostly rain.
Our second storm system is a powerful one, and it arrives late Thursday night into Friday.
This starts as rain, but colder air rushes in early Friday morning.
This leads to a brief period of snow in areas along and west of the Parkway. An early estimate on accumulations for those that do see snow is about a dusting to an inch.
Here’s the thing. Temperatures early Friday morning will be above freezing.
Once this front moves through, temperatures absolutely plummet by about 20-30°.
Regardless of whether or not you see snow, you could see what’s called a flash freeze. This would lead to slick travel at times Friday.
Travel delays are also going to be possible if you have plans to fly north, due to a combination of snow and wind.
At home, power outages will be possible due to gusts of 35 to 50 mph at times Friday. If you’re looking for plowable snow, it more-than-likely won’t happen here.
The most widespread (and potentially dangerous) impact from this storm system is the brutal cold.
Combine the cold with the wind, and you’re looking at bitterly cold wind chills first thing Christmas Eve morning.
Highs only manage to reach the 20s and 30s both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - making for the coldest holiday weekend in quite some time.
There are obviously a lot of moving parts to this forecast, so make sure you download our free weather app to stay up to date on everything.
More Immediate Forecast
Consider the cold Monday morning an appetizer for the main course. We begin with temperatures in the teens and 20s. Highs reach the 40s both Monday and Tuesday.
A weak storm system glides just to our south Tuesday, though we’ll see more clouds associated with it. Otherwise, it’s a calm and cold start to the week prior to our one-two punch of storm systems.