Clear skies and slightly warmer tonight

Tonight, across most areas it will remain chilly and windy with overnight lows sitting at the freezing mark.  The positive is we stay under clear skies, unless you’re in the High Country.   A Winter Weather Advisory is in place across Avery, Ash and Watauga Counties through tomorrow morning. Snow totals will be a bit lower than our last event, but don’t let that be misleading. Winds will be much stronger, and that combination could lead to blowing snow and periods of reduced visibility, especially overnight.

For the rest of us, tomorrow starts on a brighter note. Sunshine will take the lead early, with a few clouds drifting in later in the day. Highs will climb to around 50 degrees after a chilly morning in the low 30s. Winds will stay active, gusting up to 25 mph, making it feel cooler and giving the day a slightly gray feel. In the mountains, any lingering snow will gradually taper off to flurries as the morning goes on.

Friday keeps things quiet and seasonable. Expect partly sunny skies, afternoon highs in the upper 40s, and morning lows hovering near freezing. It will be a pretty calm weather day overall.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday earns the pick of the week title. Temperatures push close to 60 degrees with sunshine sticking around for much of the day. It will remain breezy with gusts near 25 mph, but it’s still a welcome warm-up.

Sunday is more of a transition day. Temperatures peak early, then steadily fall as a cold front moves through. By the end of the day, highs and lows end up within just a few degrees of each other. That colder air settles in overnight, setting us up for the coldest morning of the season early Monday. Stay tuned!