Low Wind Chill Factors Will Continue To Be Felt Overnight Into Thursday & Friday Across Middle-Upper Elevation Mountain Ridges and Plateaus ( SSW-WSW winds ).
Overnight Into This Morning
Mostly clear. Windy across middle to upper elevation ridges & plateaus. SSW-WSW winds at 10 to 25 mph, with higher gusts. Temperatures varying from 10s in colder mountain valleys with calm winds to readings steady or slowly rising through the 20s on exposed middle-upper elevation ridges & plateaus ( low-mid 30s on mid-elevation thermal belt sites ). Wind chill factors in the 10s to lower 20s, except single digits along upper elevation mountain ridges.
This Afternoon
Partly to mostly sunny. Gusty SSW-SW winds 10-20 mph, with higher gusts ( gusts to 30+ mph possible above 3000 to 3500 feet ). Temperatures in the 30s to lower-mid 40s in SW upslope flow locations ( e.g., Norton-Wise ) verses upper 40s to lower 50s in downslope flow communities ( e.g., Pound to Grundy corridor ). Wind chill factors in the 20s and 30s, coldest at elevations above 2700-3000 feet.
Tonight Into Friday Morning
Mostly clear with increasing high clouds overnight. Continued gusty across mid-upper elevation mountain ridges and plateaus. SSW to SW winds 5-15 mph, with higher gusts. Substantial vertical temperature spread developing from MINS in upper 10s to low 20s in valleys with calm winds to 30s on exposed middle elevation plateaus and ridges.
My Weather Discussion ( January 13-14 )
A frigid beginning to January 13 featured MIN temperatures in the single digits to lower 10s within most locations amid Wise, northern Scott, Lee and Dickenson counties and the City of Norton ( single digits ). Cold conditions considering the limited snow cover across the area.
Nora 4 SSE NWS Cooperative Station
The day featured mostly sunny skies with high clouds filtering sunshine a little during the afternoon. Temps struggled to reach around 30 degrees in the Norton-Wise and Long Ridge-Sandy Ridge communities, with low-mid 20s all day at upper elevations in the High Knob Massif.
*Downslope locations in the Russell Fork & Levisa Fork basins managed to break freezing with a MAX of 34 degrees being observed officially at Clintwood 1 W.
Lonesome Pine Airport In Wise
SW winds began increasing during the evening and have since become a significant factor across middle to upper elevations in Wise, northern Scott, northern Lee and Dickenson counties. Wind chills from 10s to lower 20s across middle elevations, and single digits at highest elevations, have been felt into this overnight period.
Flatwoods Mountain MesoNET ( 11:30 to 10:30 PM January 13, 2016 )
Temperatures above 3000 feet have been colder, with readings rising slowly into mid 20s atop the High Knob Massif by midnight ( but conditions have felt like single digits due to wind chills ).
Flatwoods Mountain MesoNET ( 10:30 to 9:30 PM January 13, 2016 )
The coldest air of the winter to date continues to be on track to arrive by Sunday into Monday ( January 17-18 ).
