Cold fronts and a clipper system will affect the weekend weather

Temperatures around Mecklenburg county began this Friday morning at or near the 50 degree mark, about twenty degrees above the average low for this date. The warmth is due to southerly breezes which kicked in Thursday morning and continued last night. That wind direction pumps in air from the warm and moist Gulf of Mexico source region.

A cold front is crossing the Appalachian mountains this morning, bringing clouds and showers with it. This boundary will push through the county during mid-afternoon, swapping the winds around out of the west. The air behind the front isn't all that chilly, so temperatures today will top out in the upper 50s. Clouds will break up late this afternoon, allowing peeks of the sunset from at least a few locales.

By dawn Saturday area temperatures will only drop into the upper 30s under mostly sunny skies. Then tomorrow afternoon another cold front - with much cooler air behind it - will slide south through the county. Accompanied by fast moving low pressure (a "clipper system") this boundary will fire up showers that may contain graupel. These snow pellets form under cold convective conditions, and although it resembles sleet graupel is a different type of precipitation. This graphic explains the difference:

Overall this weekend's precipitation in Mecklenburg county will total less than a half-inch in area gauges, so it won't be a washout. Sunday looks to be sunny with afternoon highs climbing into the low 50s after morning lows in the mid-20s. Next week? It's gonna be a LOT warmer.