Arctic air retreats northward this weekend

For those curious about snow amounts from this week's storm here's the official snowfall report map from NWS Wakefield:

The thin snow cover around Mecklenburg county has reinforced the Arctic chill over the past couple of days. Low temperatures of 16º, 18º, 19º, and 21º were recorded at Chase City, Clarksville, South Hill, and Boydton this - Friday - morning respectively. However, today begins the process of shedding this specific air mass.

The core of the frigid air will begin to lift out of Virginia today. The persistent long wave trough which ushered the cold down from Canada will slowly move northeast out of the region. Afternoon temperatures will top out in the low 40s, warmer than the past couple of days but still a full ten degrees below seasonal averages. Sunny skies will mitigate the cold somewhat, but a light breeze will remind folks that wind chill is still a thing.

Meanwhile, the weekend will feature a slow warmup. Saturday morning will again dawn with temperatures diving into the teens, while tomorrow afternoon's highs look to top out in the mid-40s. By Sunday thermometer readings will be back up to January averages, with morning lows in the mid-20s and afternoon highs at or just above the 50º mark. Heat wave!!