NORFOLK, Va. — The 13News Now Weather Team has declared Friday as a Weather Alert Day for bitter-cold wind chill readings expected in the morning hours.
When:
Friday morning is when temperatures will be at their lowest, but it will remain very cold throughout the day. Here's a timeline of changes in the weather leading up to that.
Showers moving through Hampton Roads Wednesday evening will be followed by a strong cold front that will blow through the region overnight. In the immediate passing of the front, winds will become very gusty, perhaps as high as 40mph at times. These winds will be out of the northwest transporting a much colder airmass into the region by Thursday morning.
Wake-up temperatures Thursday can be expected to be in the lower 40s, but wind chills coming in about 10 degrees colder in the mid-30s. Several more reinforcing shots of colder air arrive Thursday evening and overnight, dropping temperatures even further by Friday morning.
Impact:
Gusty winds and sub-freezing wind chills.
The combination of air temperatures in the mid-30s and winds gusting to 30 mph or more will make for widespread wind chill readings to fall into the mid-20s by wake-up time Friday morning.
This will be the first real shot of winter air for the region, and it may come as a shock to many first out the door Friday morning. Despite a sunny sky in the forecast for Friday, air temperatures will struggle to warm as winds remain blustery out of the northwest, high temperatures are expected to remain in the 40s -- some of the coldest daytime temperatures since this past March!
In regard to frost potential, because of winds remaining gusty, it is unlikely we will see widespread frost formation in Hampton Roads. The only potential will be for areas that remain protected from the wind, these isolated spots could see patchy frost.
Need:
Cold weather attire, and possibly extra time for your morning commute.
Anyone going out on Friday, especially in the morning, will need to properly dress for the weather: jackets, gloves, thermal underpants, etc.
Plan ahead for possible frost. Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.
It's also possible that water in pipes could freeze, leading to expensive damages.
To prevent water lines in the home against walls that aren't well insulated, you can keep the doors open to other rooms and leave bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open to let warmer air circulate around the plumbing.
You can also leave a trickle of water running in pipes that have a tendency to freeze.
