Friday morning showers, some steady at times, are a safe bet. This will go a long way in helping curb growing wildfires and hopefully give firefighters a leg up. About an inch of rain can be expected through Friday afternoon.

This won’t be a big rain event, more a light steady one. It won’t put larger fires out, but will help firefighters contain them, even start turning the battle in their favor. As Friday late afternoon rolls around, showers will fade and northwest winds increase a bit. Temps tumble into the 30s for lows with wind chills in the 20s.

HIGH ELEVATION FORECAST: For those above 4,000ft. through Pocahontas County (Snowshoe) snowflakes will fly most of Friday as colder air settles in on the western mountain sides. Grassy accumulation at times is possible for the highest of elevations but warm grounds will prevent much from sticking around long through the day.

While rain in any fashion is helpful, many across the region are well below average in terms of rainfall for October and November. The less than one inch of rain on Friday will ensure drought conditions remain into next week given it’s the only rain we’ll see for the next 7 days. The newest drought update, published Thursday 11/9, shows Tazewell, Giles, & Bland county in Virginia along with portions Monroe, Greenbrier, and Pocahontas of West Virginia in moderate drought. Bath & Augusta county along I-81 in Virginia are experiencing severe drought conditions.

Saturday northwest winds early in the day and colder air from the night before will give us a winter feel. Temps in the 30s with wind chills in the 20s will be a stark contrast to the warm week we had. Clearing skies and sunshine try to help warm us up, but it’ll take most of the day to push close to the 50 degree mark however light winds will make us feel like we’re in the 40s.

Sunday is a frosty morning with temps below freezing. With a light breeze, it’ll feel cooler yet. Once again, we’ll see sunshine help warm us closer to the 50 degree mark but light winds keep the wind chill values hovering in the low to mid 40s.

Monday morning is chilly in the 20s and 30s northward, but towards the south temps are closer to the mid 30s as clouds try to roll in. A southern pocket of moisture brings rain to North Carolina but clouds billow out as far north as Mercer County. For our region, we remain dry with sunshine returning for all by the afternoon as high pressure builds in. Highs for the day reach the ‘toasty’ mid 50s.

Tuesday boasts another frosty morning with temps in the 20s and 30s with a slow warm up for the afternoon. Highs push into the low to mid 50s with mostly sunny skies. A few high level clouds early on but building high pressure will have skies clear by the late evening.

Wednesday is a cold start but sunshine and westerly winds ensure we see an average November day with highs in the mid and upper 50s. Getting back into the cold morning, warm afternoons pattern, temps will fall sharply after sunset with lows Wednesday night back into the 30s.

Thursday keeps the dry pattern going with sunshine and temps managing the mid to upper 50s. Fire dangers by this time will be elevated once again as the ground has had plenty of time to dry out. Be mindful of burning, following all local regulations, and remember it only takes a few seconds for a small fire to become an unmanageable one.

In your extended forecast, a pattern change is looking more likely which would bring an end of the dry stretch. “Denver lows” become more promising late next week and points further (into the Thanksgiving holiday week) which typically bring moderate rain and a surge of warmer air to our region followed by colder air behind them. In other words, a soggy/dry pattern with a rollercoaster ride of temperatures. We’ll keep you posted.

FRIDAY
Steady showers, clearing PM. cooler. Highs in the 40s.
SATURDAY
Clearing but chilly. Highs in the low 50s.
SUNDAY
Chilly sunshine. Highs in the low 50s.
MONDAY
Sunshine with slow warm up. Highs in the mid 50s.
TUESDAY
Cold sunshine again, highs in the low to mid 50s.
WEDNESDAY
Frost start, mild PM. Highs in the mid to upper 50s.
THURSDAY
Dry stretch continues. Highs in the 50s.
FRIDAY
Sun & Clouds. Cooler. Rain late. Highs in the 50s.
SATURDAY
Showers, some heavy at times. Highs in the 50s.
SUNDAY
Morning mix (snow/rain), PM clearing. Highs in the 40s.