A temperature boost to begin the work week

Monday morning temperatures sagged into the Arctic range once again. Both South Hill and Boydton weather stations recorded lows of 9º just after 6:30 a.m., with accompanying arid dew points adding to the frigid feeling in the air. The good(?) news is that abundant sunshine and calm winds will push this afternoon's temperatures up to the 40º mark, a veritable heat wave compared to recent weeks

That "heat wave" will actually intensify Tuesday as a warm front (red line below) lifts north across most of Virginia. Here's the forecast surface map at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow:

Local thermometers will soar from Tuesday morning lows in the upper 20s to the 60º mark for many locales tomorrow afternoon. That will definitely help the melting process for those stubborn ice and snow patches.

The air behind the cold front (blue line in the graphic) isn't another visitor from the Arctic. Instead, that boundary heralds a return to temperatures closer to February averages for Mecklenburg County. It won't be quite spring-like, but the latter half of the work week will feel balmy compared to the recent deep freeze!