Dangerously cold air

If you know me and how I operate, you know that I do not over-hype things like you might sometimes see elsewhere. Hyperbole and unnecessarily hype does no one any good in the long run.

Having said that, I want to hit home that this incoming shot of cold air is something this part of the country does not see very often. In fact, it has been quite a few years since we saw a blast of cold air of this significance. Many in NC will have 67-72 hours below freezing. That in an of itself, while impressive, is not a huge deal.

The big deal is just how cold it will be. Many spots will drop into the single digits tonight, especially near and north of I-40. Winds will be an issue, and most of the region will experience wind chill values below zero tonight through tomorrow morning.

HIGHS tomorrow will likely fail to reach 20 in many Triad and Triangle locations and will likely struggle to the low to mid 20s around Charlotte. Winds will continue to pump wind chill values at least into the single digits and possibly below 0 at times through the day.

The arctic high pressure then settles overhead tomorrow night into Friday morning, and temps will be even colder than tonight. Foothill and piedmont NC spots will likely see lows between 0 and 9 degrees in many areas, and I fully expect some of the traditionally-colder spots to dip below 0. Highs will top out in the 20s Friday.

Folks, this is serious cold. Pipe-bursting cold. Please check on anybody you know that might not have adequate heating. Pets need to be inside. Your cars need to have adequate anti-freeze. Take precautions.

For more on all of this, plus our upcoming wintry weather chances, please see the video embedded in post below this one.