An arctic front looks to sweep down across the United States late this week and this will bring unseasonably cold weather to all of WNC. High temperatures during the daytime on Friday & Saturday are currently projected to be in the mid 40’s, whereas the area normal ranges are usually in the upper 50’s to low 60’s. Below you can see the most recent GFS model run showing the temperatures for Saturday am.

How Long Will This Cold Snap Last?

Well, it is going to effectively kill most of your plants that are still alive outdoors. It will be time to mulch strawberries this weekend, and proper winterization should be done for all plants that need that type of attention. Most models have this as an extended cold snap that lasts through next weekend, with a slight warm up early next week before another front moves in. This pattern appears to be set in and could bring some interesting weather our way, especially for the higher elevations. Below you can see the low temperatures for next Wednesday morning and they look coldddddd as another arctic front pushes through! This a very unusual and unseasonable for WNC at this point in the year.

Will It Snow Next Week Around WNC?

This is a pattern that is conducive to snow sometime next week in WNC, but we are too far off currently for me to really discuss if it will actually snow. What you need to know is that it does appear that the cold air will be in place. We could be looking at some form of a clipper system in the next 7-10 days followed by a Gulf Low, but there is great uncertainty. What does appear likely is higher elevation snow, above 3500’. These patterns are great for snow making and can also bring several bouts of snowfall. As this elongated trough dips down from the arctic, winds will bring moisture over the NC/TN border, and enhancement could be possible as vort stretching occurs on the lee side of the mountains. I will be going live and posting several articles over the next few days so continue to check back for more updates!

Scattered Showers Possible Thursday Into Friday

Rainfall is possible Thursday and into Friday as the first arctic front pushes through. On the backside some high elevation snow showers are possible, but I am not super optimistic on accumulation. This snow will likely fall above 3500’ on the NC/TN border. Below you can see the most recent GFS model run and it shows the rainfall totals through Friday for the area. As you can see only .1”-.2” around Asheville, but higher totals are possible around Franklin and locations in far SW WNC.