Steve signing in at 7:01 AM. Clear skies with temperatures ranging from 28° at the Foothills AP and Granite Falls to 38° at Hickory and 42° at Nebo. Along the I-40 corridor temperatures should be mainly in the mid 30s. We should see a good deal of sunshine today but high clouds filter in this afternoon ahead of a storm system taking shape over eastern Texas and western Louisiana this morning. Highs around 50°. Clouds lower and thicken tonight with precipitation moving in after midnight. Freezing rain is possible in the mountains but along the I-40 corridor, precipitation should start out as rain with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. However, shortly before daybreak Saturday, as evaporational cooling kicks in, the rain could change over to sleet and snow, even in places like Marion, Morganton and Hickory. Snow lovers, this may be your only chance before Christmas but with temperatures bottoming out around 33°, I doubt that the snow is going to stick anywhere except a few grassy surfaces. It should be fun to look at. The main travel hazard Saturday morning is likely to be the higher elevations of NW Burke, McDowell and northern Caldwell County where light icing may gather on some road surfaces. If youre traveling on Hwy 221 or 321, please exercise caution Saturday morning. By mid-morning, precipitation changes back over to light rain and drizzle before ending around noontime or early afternoon. We could even see some clearing later in the afternoon. Saturdays system doesnt look to be particularly strong at this point and shouldnt last for very long. Low pressure develops off the SC coast and takes everything out to sea Saturday afternoon. We should see a sunny to partly sunny day Sunday with highs in the upper 40s. Another disturbance develops in the northern Gulf of Mexico Sunday night and moves up the southeast coast, bringing a return to mostly, if not all, rain later Sunday night into Monday. Temperatures with this system should be a few degrees warmer so at this point were not looking at any precipitation-related issues. Again, low pressure develops off the Carolina coasts later Monday night, taking all the precipitation out of our area and up the Eastern Seaboard. By Tuesday, another, stronger storm system develops over the Arklatex and this system looks like it will move northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Behind this system a more pronounced shot of cold air is headed in our direction. Ahead of the system, Gulf moisture, significant rains and warmer temperatures are likely to stream in Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Winds are pretty strong, even at 4500 feet above the surface and some marginal instability tries to develop after midnight Tuesday as temperatures climb into the mid to upper 50s in parts of our area. Although the National Weather Service appears to downplay the potential for severe thunderstorms, Im not sure I totally buy it, given the condition of the atmosphere during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. I think there is the possibility of thunder with this system and if a shower or storm gets strong enough, it could mix some of those strong winds aloft down to the surface, possibly causing isolated wind damage. By mid morning Christmas Eve, it does look as if the cold front will move through, ending any potential severe storm threat and drying things out for the I-40 corridor while setting up the potential for a northwest flow snow event in the mountains. If anyone stands a chance of seeing a White Christmas I would think the higher elevations and mountain tops in Avery, Yancey and Mitchell counties are the best candidates. I dont think any of us in the 4 county area are going to see a White Christmas. However, the weather Christmas Day should be pretty decent with sunny skies and near normal temperatures in the upper 40s.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 12:20:52 +0000
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