Hold on to your hats...

Both literally (as winds today will be very gusty...gusting over 35-40mph at times in the Piedmont...over 60mph at times in the mountains), and figuratively, as the weather pattern we are entering is one loaded with potential. See the video below, and then I will discuss it further below the video.



The windy conditions today are due to an arctic airmass moving into the region. Temperatures will fall this afternoon, and it will be chilly if you will be outside for New Year's Eve festivities this evening. Temps by midnight will likely be in the lower 30s to upper 20s. Lows tonight will bottom out in the lower 20s for most.

A sunny and chilly New Year's Day is on tap with highs in the low to possibly mid 40s.

We are still watching our little system for Friday. Whatever precip can mange to fall before lunching Friday could be wintry in nature, but at this point, and precip looks to be very light, and this, at least right now, just does not look like a big deal.

Another system will bring rain chances to our area Sunday. Then things get really interesting.

Cold air will begin to drain in here Monday, and that sets us up for what could be something more significant in the wintry weather department. Let me say...right now, this is still in the realm of 'fantasy' and 'potential.' However, the GFS has been on board with this idea for several runs now. The Euro model handles things differently, holding the energy back in the Southwest US much longer than the GFS. While that might be the correct solution, that wreaks of a known Euro bias.

All of this could change, but right now, the potential is there for wintry precip in the Carolinas Tuesday. We will see how things unfold.

I will try to post some thoughts from time to time either here on the main column or on the Twitter feed. I am off tomorrow, but I will be back on the air again Friday morning.

Happy New Year!