My Forecast For Today ( January 31 )

ALERT For Strong & Gusty SW Winds Across Mid-Upper Elevation Mountain Ridges & Plateaus Through Sunday

Overnight Into Sunday Morning

Mostly clear ( high clouds ).  Large vertical temperature spread between mountain valleys with calm winds & snow cover verses windy mid-upper elevation mountain ridges.  SSW to SW winds 10-25 mph, with higher gusts, on ridges-plateaus below 2700 feet.  SW winds 20-35 mph, with gusts to 40+ mph, on upper elevation mountain ridges.  Temps varying from 20s in colder valleys to 40s-lower 50s along exposed mid-upper elevation ridges & plateaus.  Wind chills in the 30s & 40s ( coldest at the highest elevations ).

*Rapid overnight temp rises ( chinook style ) are possible in any decoupled mountain hollows which couple back up with the very strong SW wind field above ( i.e., rapid 20+ degree temp jumps ).

This Afternoon

Sunshine to increasing mid-high clouds.  Windy.  SSW winds 10-20 mph, with higher gusts, along mid elevation ridges & plateaus below 2700 feet.  SSW-SW winds 20-30 mph, with gusts to 40+ mph, along upper elevation ridges.  Temperatures varying from low-mid 40s over deep snow on northern slopes in upper elevations of High Knob Massif to 55 to 60 degrees in downslope locations ( even milder south over bare ground into the Tennessee Valley ).  Wind chills in the 30s along upper elevation mountain ridges ( 40s on mid elevation ridges & plateaus ).

Tonight Into Monday Morning

Increasing low-mid clouds.  A chance of light rain-showers by morning.  Winds SSW-SW 10-20 mph, with higher gusts, along middle elevation ridges & plateaus below 2700 feet.  SSW-SW winds 20-30 mph, with higher gusts, along upper elevation mountain ridges.  Temperatures widespread in the 40s.  Wind chill factors in the 30s & 40s ( coldest at the highest elevations ).

 

Weather Discussion ( January 30-31 )

Saturday featured a large temperature spread in mountain valleys and a relatively small temperature spread over deep snow still across upper elevations of the High Knob Massif.

The official National Weather Service temperature in Clintwood began the day at 19 degrees and peaked at 52 degrees, before falling quickly back to 30 degrees by 10:00 PM.

*The temperature being reported for Clintwood on WCYB-TV is actually from a weather station located near Ramey Flats, not far from majestic Pine Mountain and north of the Pound River ( thus the large differences observed at times since the official Clintwood NWS site is in a valley ).

Temperatures along upper elevation crestlines varied from upper 20s Friday evening, at around 10 PM, to low-mid 40s Saturday PM, followed by a minor drop back to 42 degrees this evening before a small rise back up amid strong SW winds.

Feels-like conditions were, of course, much colder with 30s and even some 20s ( in stronger gusts ) atop the High Knob Massif and Black Mountain during the afternoon.  That is continuing tonight and is even making the 48-50 degrees reported at LNP in Wise feel chilly.

The air is very dry so any evaporation from melting snow acts as a cooling process to slow down it’s rate of decrease ( snow will melt much faster amid moist air ).  A general 1″ to 5″ of snow depth was measured at Clintwood 1 W this afternoon near sunset ( elevation of 1560 feet above mean sea level ).  Snow cover continues to be widespread across northern slopes and in deep hollows verses much less snow or bare ground on well exposed southern slopes.

This truly generated a huge contrast with places like the Tri-Cities where bare ground now rules and temps soared into the 60s during the afternoon ( no snow to melt so the insolation was able to be applied to maximum heating of the surfaces, which then heat the overlying air ).

While Sunday will remain dry, the start of this new work week is looking wet.  This will especially be true for places along and northwest of the Cumberland Mountains, as now forecast by both the NAM Model group and European Model.

Meanwhile, if it sounds like a jet airplane has landed near your house it is because winds are ROARING along the high mountain ridges ( if you live in a place to hear-feel them ).

Given the thermal structure of the atmosphere, some of these stronger winds are mixing downward to Norton-Wise overnight and ( of course ) into the many ridge communities across Dickenson-Wise counties.  Batten down the hatches!

Have a great Sunday.