Very cold and breezy. NEXT Weather Alert for arctic blast on Small Business Saturday. Here's the forecast.
Friday was cooler, but just a taste of the early-season arctic blast set to arrive this weekend and hang around for a while. This will be the coldest air of the season thus far and the coldest the area has seen since March.
A NEXT Weather Alert is in place for the entire weekend due to this blast of cold air.
Despite sunshine, the highs on Saturday and Sunday will only reach the mid to upper 30s which will be the coldest days since last February and well below the average high of 51 for late November.
The wind chills will hover below freezing all day and night.
Speaking of nights, the morning lows will dip into the 20s for the entire area including the city. Be sure to winterize the outdoor pipes and make special preparations for any pets with a warm place to stay and freshwater that can't freeze over. Even with their warm fur, they are not used to this cold either.
The month of December and the start of Meteorological Winter begins Sunday. Next week is looking sunny, cool, dry, and continued cold with highs reaching the low 40s.
The first half of the week will remain dry, but by Wednesday night a fast-moving system could bring some snow showers to the region, but right now snow accumulations look minimal at best.
Into the second half of next week and into the weekend the cold pattern only looks to persist if not double down with highs returning to the mid-upper 30s Friday and into the weekend.
Here is the current travel forecast so you can plan and prepare
- Saturday and Sunday will be the coldest of the season with much of the area in the upper 30s during the day and dipping to the 20s at night.
- Wind chills will be in the teens and 20s all weekend. It will also be breezy with a mix of sun and clouds on both days.
- Travel should be clear for anyone heading home.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Saturday: NEXT Weather Alert, cold, high of 38, low of 28.
Sunday: NEXT Weather Alert, cold, high of 39, low of 26.
Monday: Frigid start, high of 41, low of 25.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, high of 42, low of 27.
Wednesday: Night flurries? high of 40, low of 24.
Thursday: Clearing, high of 45, low of 34.
Friday: Mostly sunny, high of 37, low of 27.
