ROARING SSW To SW Winds And Low Wind Chills Will Continue Into The Overnight And Predawn Hours Of Thursday Morning – Caution Is Advised
A fast moving clipper system passing north of the Mountain Empire will continue to generate ROARING winds across the mountain area through tonight into the overnight.
Wednesday Night Into Thursday Morning
Partly cloudy during the evening, then becoming cloudy with a chance of flurries & snow showers by morning. Windy and cold. Winds S to SW 15-25 mph, with higher gusts, below 2700 feet. SSW-SW winds 25-35 mph, with higher gusts, along mountain ridges above 2700 feet. Winds diminishing after sunrise. Temperatures varying from upper 10s to lower 20s in upper elevations by morning to the mid-upper 20s to around 30 degrees. Wind chills in the 10s to low 20s, with single digits high mountain ridges.
Thursday Afternoon
Partly-mostly cloudy. Cold. NW winds generally less than 10 mph. Temperatures varying from lower 20s in upper elevations to the lower-mid 30s.
Thursday Night Into Friday Morning
Partly-mostly cloudy. Cold. Light winds. Temperatures varying from low-mid 10s in upper elevations to the low-middle 20s.
Weather Discussion ( Windy )
It does not take a meteorologist to tell winds are roaring across the mountains, especially in the High Knob Massif area where an array of beautiful lenticular ( mountain wave ) clouds are being highlighted by sunset.
High Knob Massif Webcam – University Of Virginia’s College At Wise
These strong winds are also continuing the low wind chills.
High Knob Massif Webcam – University Of Virginia’s College At Wise
Although we do not have the mesonet coverage as needed, there is enough data such that there is no excuse for leaving out the Cumberland Mountains in current Wind Advisories.
Black Mountain Mesonet
Note sustained speeds are over 30 miles per hour at high elevations.
Black Mountain Mesonet
These mesonets span the 2774 to 4031 foot elevation zone, in which thousands of people live across Wise, northern Scott, and southern Dickenson counties.
Flatwoods Mountain Mesonet
Drop through middle elevations, even into lower elevations below 2000 feet in parts of Wise & Dickenson counties, and these winds are still ROARING since SSW-SW flow is climatologically the windiest in this area.
Lonesome Pine Airport In Wise
Snow depths of 2″ to 3″+ occurred with the most recent clipper within upper elevations of the High Knob Massif to Burkes Garden area, with Joe & Darlene Fields measuring 2″ of ground depth ( 1.8″ ) Wednesday in the High Chaparral community ( with 3″ or locally more at highest elevations ).
A morning snow depth of 3″ was also reported in Burkes Garden. These totals were ironically more than counties within the Winter Weather Advisory ( officially posted by the NWS ); although, Wise County and adjacent high elevation areas were not included!
Eagle Knob of High Knob Massif At 9:58 AM on December 13, 2017
Roads were slick and snow covered in the high country, with the road on Eagle Knob ( above ) being solidly covered despite much blowing ( horizontal ) snow that generated large depth variations along the high ridges.
