Forecast Last Updated at Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 12:20PM

Milder Thursday

We start Thursday with a temperature inversion--cold in valleys, milder on mountaintops. Mountaintops are pointing to today's weather, milder. But low pressure developing along the Louisiana Coast today is our weather-maker Friday. Clouds increase tonight. Rain develops Friday afternoon continuing Friday night. Colder air wraps around, behind that low Friday night. Precipitation changes to snow showers or flurries late Friday night lasting into Saturday morning; however, only a dusting (at most) is expected (maybe an inch or so on western mountaintops). Saturday will be colder and windy.

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Thursday Hi: 59 Lo: 34 Mostly clear daytime; Not as cold by afternoon; Increasing clouds tonight; Light SW wind, but breezy at higher elev's tonight

Friday Hi: 53 Lo: 38 Cloudy with PM fog; Rain developing in the afternoon, continuing overnight; Colder late Fri night; Change to snow showers possible late Fri night; SW wind 5-10 mph, but gusty at higher elev's

Saturday Hi: 45 Lo: 29 Mostly to partly cloudy; AM light snow showers or flurries; Colder; NW wind 10-20 mph, AM gusts to 50 mph, NW 5-15 mph Sat. night

Sunday Hi: 49 Lo: 32 Mostly sunny day; Cold; A few clouds Sun. night

Monday Hi: 45 Lo: 26 Mostly cloudy; Scattered light snow showers or flurries; Cold

Further Out

Tuesday - Mostly clear; Cold; High in the lower 40s; Low in the upper 20s
Wednesday - Mostly clear; Less cold; High in the lower 50s; Low in the mid 30s

Forecast Discussion

I'm so glad the weather allowed ski season to begin. It won't provide much additional snow in the foreseeable future, but temperatures will be cold enough to keep snow-making operations going most days.

Light winds, clear skies, and snow cover are the perfect setup for heavier cold air to sink into valleys. That's what we have this morning with valleys 25 degrees colder than mountaintops. Temperatures moderate for all by this afternoon under mostly clear skies.

Low pressure is developing today along the Louisiana Coast. It will move slowly east today, then spawn a low in North Georgia tomorrow that will intensify as it moves northeast. Skies become mostly cloudy tonight. Rain begins around or just before noon Friday and continues Friday night.

Colder air wraps around the west side of the low Friday night. Temperatures fall late Friday night into Saturday. We'll have a brief window of snow showers or flurries late Friday night into Saturday morning. Most of the region will get a dusting at most; however, higher mountaintops could get an inch or so. Saturday will be windy!

Sunday is quieter and chilly ahead of a clipper-type low diving southeastward Monday. Another low will be in the Gulf Sunday and moves into the Atlantic Monday, but too far away to provide much "help". Expect more clouds Monday with scattered light snow showers or flurries. Maybe we eke out another dusting. Temperatures will be colder again Monday.

High pressure centered to our southwest keeps mostly clear Tuesday and Wednesday. After a cold Tuesday, temperatures moderate Tuesday.

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