ROANOKE, Va. – The same system that brought heavy rain and storms to the area Thursday evening will be responsible for a gusty wind and colder air Friday.
Gusts of 25-35 mph will be common, so it might not be a bad idea to weigh down/bring in any lightweight things like trash cans, hanging baskets or basketball nets.
This wind comes out of the northwest, taking moisture from the Great Lakes in the process and chucking it up the mountains. This is great news for ski resorts like Snowshoe ahead of a big ski weekend.
While some of us may see some snow showers or brief pockets of rain/sleet, the bulk of accumulation will be on the west-facing slopes and perhaps in western parts of Grayson, Wythe and Bland Counties. We can’t rule out a very light accumulation in parts of Carroll, Floyd and Giles Counties.
Temperatures remain steady in the 30s in the mountains and 40s/lower 50s elsewhere.
As the wind continues into the overnight, wind chills will drop off.
It won’t be as dangerously cold as it was around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but it’ll be uncomfortable at times Saturday morning.
Highs reach the 30s and 40s Saturday. We begin more calmly Sunday with temps in the 20s. Highs mostly reach the 50s.
Our next shot of rain comes from another coast-to-coast system Tuesday. Most of what we see develops in the morning before afternoon highs reach the 50s and 60s.