Another week, another Arctic blast

January 2025 has brought some of the coldest air to Mecklenburg county in recent years. Tuesday night's cold front passage featured gusty winds as it opened the door to more cold dry Arctic air. The only reason this (Wednesday) morning's temperatures halted their drop in the low 20s is that the winds provided enough mixing to keep thermometer readings from sagging into the teens.

Speaking of wind, westerly breezes will continue today. Afternoon highs will struggle to climb into the upper 30s even under full sunshine. The combination of cold dry air and wind suggests caution (and clothing layers!) when venturing outdoors due to the wind chill. This chart describes how much colder than the actual air temperature a breeze can make it feel:

Expect air temperatures by dawn Thursday to drop into those teens after the winds go calm overnight. Tomorrow will be a bit warmer with highs in the mid-40s, still several degrees below January averages. Sunshine will prevail Thursday and again on Friday, which will see similar temperatures. 

The weekend then looks wet rather than icy or snowy, although there could be a few flakes late Sunday night. After that storm systems clears the area the coldest air of the winter will arrive. If you thought it's been cold recently wait until early next week!!