Lead Forecaster Daniel Crawley
We have been talking about this blast of cold air for several days and we are now getting inside of 48 hours before this begins to impact Western North Carolina.
This upcoming cold blast has a chance to flirt with some long standing records across the Foothills and Western Piedmont.
We looked back into the archives and noted that Christmas of 1983 was extremely cold with actual air temperatures that dropped below zero and daytime highs in the teen’s and 20’s…
Browse though the slide show below as we have compiled some data from a few of the local COOP stations inside the coverage area (Marion, Lenoir, Lincolnton…)
Here’s a look at the very latest guidance and the cold blast that will arrive. The North Carolina Mountains will begin to see a sharp drop in temperatures between 2-4 am on Friday and it will then slide into the Foothills by 4-5 am.
By daybreak temperatures will begin to drop across the Western Piedmont. All guidance indicates that by mid morning Friday (9-10 am) we will be looking at temperatures in the teens and lower 20’s, where they may hold steady the rest of the day.
The combination of very cold conditions and increasing northwest winds will create some of the coldest wind chill values that we have seen in several years…
We have put together a map of how wind chill values could pan out during the worst of this cold blast (Late Friday through Saturday afternoon). A significant portion of us will see wind chill values at or just below zero. Mountain wind chills may range from -10 to -20 at times.
This kind of cold weather can be dangerous if you are not prepared…please make sure and bundle up in multiple layers…head and hand coverings included.
Also, make sure your pets are protects. Water bowls and food will freeze with the extended cold weather.