ROANOKE, Va. – Now that the wind has finally backed off, we’re starting deep in the freezer early Wednesday morning. Sunrise temperatures will be in the teens and 20s. However, full-on sunshine will bring us back to reality.
Afternoon highs make it into the upper 40s and lower 50s.
We go back into the 20s Thursday morning, which is fitting. Thursday is the winter solstice - the first official day of winter!
[WATCH HERE: Our winter outlook walks you through how much snow we expect this year.]
We’ll see times of clouds and sun the rest of the week, but the air in the lower levels of the atmosphere will be too dry for any precipitation to form.
That changes by Christmas, but don’t get too excited about a White Christmas. The cold air is up north with Santa Claus.
Forecast data is pretty consistent on the idea of rain showers developing late in the day Christmas, into the night and potentially into Tuesday, the 26th.
This is a stark contrast from last year, when we set the record for the coldest Christmas Eve.
High temperatures this time around will be well into the 50s.