*A chilly air mass will be felt through the next several days, with shocking temperatures ( especially when factoring in wind chills at higher elevations ) in comparison to the mean of recent months.
*Unsettled conditions will occur as the remnants of Michael race away into the Atlantic and a secondary cold front drops into the mountains Friday Night into early Saturday. The first pellets of sleet or flurries & light rime will be possible at highest elevations, with a chance of a few cold rain showers in other locations.
*The first temperatures at freezing will occur at highest elevations, with the first sub-freezing wind chills at upper elevations on both Friday & Saturday mornings. Runners in the Cloudsplitter 100 Race will need to be prepared for these conditions.
*A southerly flow redevelops during the second half of the weekend, with warm air advection and increasing clouds. Wind chills will continue to be a factor in the upper elevations ( especially along high ridges ).
Thursday Night Into Friday Morning
Mostly cloudy. Turning much colder. Low clouds-fog with a chance of drizzle or light riming (highest peaks). NW winds 5-15 mph with some higher gusts. Temperatures dropping into the 30s to lower 40s ( around 30 degrees at on highest peaks ). Wind chills dropping into the 20s and 30s ( coldest at highest elevations ).
Friday Morning Through The Afternoon
Becoming partly to mostly sunny ( blue skies ), then increasing high clouds by late. Light to occasionally breezy W-NW winds. Seasonably chilly with temperatures varying from upper 40s to lower 50s at upper elevations to the mid 50s to lower 60s. Wind chills in the 30s to lower 40s at the highest elevations.
Friday Night Into Saturday Morning
Becoming cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Flurries or sleet pellets possible at highest elevations. Winds WNW-NW 5-15 mph, with some higher gusts. Temperatures dropping into the 30s to lower 40s ( around 30 degrees on highest peaks ). Wind chills dropping into the 20s and 30s, except upper 10s to lower 20s on highest peaks.
Saturday Morning Through The Afternoon
Low clouds giving way to partly cloudy skies. Chilly. Light northerly winds. Temperatures varying from upper 30s to lower 40s at upper elevations to the upper 40s to low 50s.
Saturday Night Into Sunday Morning
Mostly cloudy. Becoming gusty along mountain ridges. Winds SSE to S at 5-15 mph, with some higher gusts, on mountains ridges below 2700 feet. Winds S-SW at 10-20 mph, with higher gusts, on mountain ridges above 2700 feet. Temperatures mainly in the 40s. Wind chills in the 30s to lower 40s ( coldest at upper elevations ).
Be sure to check out What Makes High Knob Special, the latest published series by Wally Smith and Wayne Browning which talks just a little bit about this great mountain mass (scroll down to article links).
Weather Discussion ( Chilly Air )
Friday Morning Update
A low cloud deck held through the night with dense fog and low clouds continuing to engulf highest elevations this AM.
High Knob Massif Webcam – University Of Virginia’s College At Wise
It is a wintry morning up top with 34 degrees and wind chills in the 20s, amid dense fog-low clouds. This is what conditions will be like into Saturday morning, only even more nasty for the 8:00 AM start of the Cloudsplitter 100.
Previous Discussion
Falling temperatures through Thursday afternoon are just the beginning of a chilly period of weather conditions as Autumn 2018 finally decides to arrive.
High Knob Massif Webcam – University Of Virginia’s College At Wise
As of late afternoon Thursday air temperatures had fallen into the 40s, and wind chills into the 30s, at the summit level of High Knob to mark the beginning of a chilly to cold period of conditions amid the high country. A radical change, indeed, for runners taking part in the Cloudsplitter 100 race through this weekend.
Thursday afternoon breaks in the overcast will close back up as northwest flow and cold air advection drop air temps significantly into Friday morning. Clouds bases engulfing the summit of High Knob will lower to cover more of the high country into the upcoming night ( the first light riming may occur toward Friday morning on peaks ).
Clouds will break and Friday skies will feature a classic autumn look, with cumulus hung amid deep, blueness.
Conditions then begin changing Friday night into early Saturday as low-level moisture increases again and cloud bases drop back over the high country. Although most places will have a chance of showers, the first frozen precipitation types will be possible at high elevations during the predawn to post-sunrise period Saturday.
*The first light accumulation, or dusting, of snow will be possible farther northeast in the northern mountains of West Virginia at the highest elevations. A sign of the season upcoming.
Sunshine returns Saturday, eventually, and then more changes occur as moisture begins streaming across the USA from remnants of Sergio ( moving from the eastern Pacific into the southwestern USA ).
The Bottom Line, a much cooler but changeable period of weather is expected through this weekend.
