As this strong front finally pushed through WNC, clear skies and windy conditions prevail. These winds will persist through the early morning hours of Monday for most locations, but could last through the early afternoon in some high elevation locations.
How High Will Winds Gust?
Around Asheville, gust over 40mph could be possible with sustained winds of 10-15mph. At elevations above 3500’ these winds could gust over 60mph. You can see on the most recent NAM 3km run that gusts over 60mph are projected around Boone, so please be mindful of this.
Effects From These Winds?
I expect trees to come down in many areas over the next day due to the high winds. This combated with extremely wet soil/loose root system, will easily topple trees around WNC. Power outages cannot be ruled out, in fact I expect them to increase as the night progresses. Mud slides are also possible and can be induced by these high winds. As the winds move trees around, the roots move as well. This will loosen up extremely saturated slopes, especially those that are north facing. Please report any road closures due to mud slides to the AshevilleWX Weather Community on Facebook. Check back soon for another update, and stay safe this evening!