Chilly Temps; Isolated Showers Thursday
Good afternoon folks! The recent snow event did not pan out like we thought it would in several ways. The main issue was that the timing was off on our end, resulting in a delayed changeover from rain to snow and coupled with that, the valleys never fully kicked over to snow. The one and perhaps only verification was the general layout of where snow did accumulate, however even there we missed our forecasted totals. All in all, we'd give the SNOWCAST map and forecast a letter grade D and not a complete failure because the usual NW flow locations picked up accumulating snow (highest was 2.5" along the TN line). Of note, this morning we experienced our first single digit readings of the season, as Mt LeConte plummeted to 1°F, while Mt Mitchell dipped to 4°F.
Turning our attention toward the remainder of this week and the upcoming weekend, thankfully there is nothing too complicated to fret over, with a disturbance Thursday night into Friday off to the southeast that will bring us a very slight chance for rain. Other than it'll be dry and temps will be very slow to warm up, remaining below average all the way into early next week.
Thursday brings us high clouds streaming in from the southeast as a system develops along the coastal plain, wrapping moisture back into our region. Isolated showers are possible region wide Thursday night into Friday afternoon, however the chances are low and your best bet for showers will be along the SC state line due to upslope enhancement. Temps Thursday will warm only to the low 40's - low 50's depending upon elevation, which is roughly 8 - 10 degrees below average for this time of year. Thursday night will cap temps to the mid - upper 30's and we do not expect any wintry precip to fall as isolated showers develop.
Friday offers up temps a degree or two warmer than Thursday as clouds are extremely slow to clear out, however shower chances should end before sunset, ensuring high school football is not impacted. Temps Friday night fall into the upper 20's - mid 30's depending upon elevation under partly cloudy skies.
The weekend is looking pleasant, although a touch chilly, as temps climb to the mid - upper 40's along the ridgelines, while the valleys reach the mid - upper 50's, all under mostly sunny skies. Overnight lows settle into the low - upper 30's each night under clear skies; fog likely Sunday night.
A glimpse into early next week shows a small chance for passing showers Monday night and we'll wait till Friday to discuss any details. Enjoy the remainder of the work and school week!