Russell’s First Alert Forecast: Chilly air sticks around. Arctic air rushes in next week

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - High pressure building in from the west will be in full control of our weather this weekend. Near steady temps in the 40s and 50s will be likely as chilly air sticks around next week. Very cold air is expected for Christmas!

The WITN Weather Team has decided to make next Friday and Saturday a First Alert Weather Day. It’s a busy time to travel and we know you have a lot of plans. Temperatures are expected to be well below average as many hit the roads to travel within the state and out of state. Our average highs are in the 50s through Christmas. This year we could see highs stay in the 30s! That would lead to very cold and below-freezing temperatures overnight. Rain is expected to increase ahead of the cold air Thursday and Thursday night. It’s way too early to talk about any chance for snow or ice, but temperatures could be close to or below freezing to start Friday if precipitation lingers. Plenty of time to watch this event and too early for you to change any plans, but we wanted to give you a heads-up as early as possible on the cold headed our way.

DROUGHT MONITOR: As of Thursday’s (12/15) update, most Eastern NC counties are now in a moderate drought. Multiple communities are running several inches below normal for the year. Yesterday’s storm brought a much-needed 1.0″ or so of rain to our area, however, this only put a dent in the problem, not fix it completely.

Friday Night

A few clouds are possible. Otherwise, turning cold. Lows near freezing by sunrise. Winds: SW Light

Saturday

Mostly sunny to partly cloudy at times. Cool. High of 52. Winds: W 5-10.

Sunday

Sunny, breezy, and chilly. High of 47. Winds: NW 10-15

Monday

Mostly sunny. High of 48. Winds: NW 5-10.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. High of 50. Winds: S 3-7

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