Beneficial rain moves in for the weekend

• More fog possible tonight
• Highs in the 60s & 70s continue
• Rainy start to the New Year

The final days of 2021 will continue to be on the warm side. We should continue to find temperatures well into the 60s through Saturday. We’ll see slightly cooler temperatures Sunday before a major cool down affects us by next Monday. We’ll also see periods of beneficial rain move through the region from time to time.

TONIGHT

Watch out for patchy dense fog again tonight as skies clear some above. A stray showers can not be ruled out. Lows will remain mid mostly in the 40s.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

It appears our best shot at widespread rain will arrive New Year’s weekend with a couple of waves of moisture expected Saturday and Sunday. There remains uncertainty in the exact track of these systems, but odds are favorable for beneficial rain to begin 2022. A potent cold front could could change some of the rain over to snow showers in the mountains by late Sunday. Some areas may see more than an inch or two of rain by the weekend. As of right now it looks like we should remain dry around midnight Friday night if you happen to find yourself outside for any festivities. Though, rain may move in later in the night. Some areas could see more than 1-2″ of rain by the time the moisture exits later Sunday. This would be beneficial rain for our area.

Here’s a look at the rainfall potential for this weekend.

DROUGHT INDEX

The U.S. Drought Index shows the drought conditions are looking even worse for our area. The Moderate Drought has expanded all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Severe Drought areas remain across the Southside.

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