SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Issue Date: 619 PM EST THU DEC 31 2009
Expiration: 1030 AM EST FRI JAN 01 2010
...A PROLONGED PERIOD OF VERY COLD AIR TO AFFECT THE REGION
BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT... LIKELY LASTING FOR A WEEK OR MORE...
A VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR MASS WILL SURGE INTO CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA FRIDAY NIGHT... WITH INTENSE COLD EXPECTED THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. LOWS OVER THE WEEKEND WILL FALL INTO THE 15 TO 20 DEGREE
RANGE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN
15 AND 25 MPH. WIND CHILL READINGS WILL DIP TO AS LOW AS 10 DEGREES
SATURDAY. THIS WILL ONLY BE THE BEGINNING OF A LONG DURATION COLD
SPELL WHICH SHOULD LAST WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL
DIP WELL DOWN INTO THE TEENS EACH NIGHT.
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TYPICALLY EXPERIENCES A COLD SPELL EACH
WINTER IN WHICH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FALLS TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15
DEGREES... WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES REMAINING NEAR FREEZING.
HOWEVER... THE DURATION OF THE COLD USUALLY LASTS ONLY A DAY OR
TWO.
THE EXPECTED DURATION AND INTENSITY OF THIS COLD EVENT WILL BE A
VERY UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. THIS COLD WILL BE NEARLY CONTINUOUSLY
REINFORCED BY A COUPLE OF VERY STRONG ARCTIC HIGHS. THESE HIGHS WILL
PUSH FROM NORTH CENTRAL CANADA SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS COLD EVENT WILL LIKELY LAST THROUGH
THE NEXT 7... TO POSSIBLY 14 DAYS... IN WHICH LOWS WILL FREQUENTLY
FALL INTO THE TEENS. THIS WILL LEAD TO MANY HOURS OF SUBFREEZING
TEMPERATURES DURING THE NEXT WEEK. A COMPARABLE COLD SPELL BASED
ON SOME OF THE HISTORICAL COLD EPISODES FROM THE PAST INCLUDES THE
LAST TWO WEEKS OF JANUARY 1977.
PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE NOW TO ENSURE THAT HEATING SYSTEMS
ARE IN STRONG WORKING ORDER... EXPOSED PIPES ARE PROPERLY
INSULATED OR COVERED... CRAWL SPACE VENTS ARE CLOSED. CHECK ON THE
ELDERLY TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ADEQUATE AND SAFE HEATING. IN
ADDITION... REMEMBER THE SAFETY RULES FOR SAFE HOME HEATING.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
Issue Date: 328 PM EST THU DEC 31 2009
Expiration: 330 PM EST FRI JAN 01 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
WIDESPREAD FOG IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...WITH SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE REGION. NEW YEAR`S EVE TRAVELERS SHOULD DRIVE WITH
EXTREME CAUTION TONIGHT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
AN ARCTIC AIR MASS WILL BUILD INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE
WEEKEND. LOW TEMPERATURES OF 15 TO 20 CAN BE EXPECTED SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY... WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 30S. BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL
PRODUCE VERY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS COLD AIR WILL EXTEND WELL
INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL BE AN EXTENDED COLD PERIOD WITH LOWS NEXT
WEEK BETWEEN 15 AND 20. EVERYONE SHOULD PROPERLY PROTECT EXPOSED
WATER PIPES AND CHECK HEATING UNITS.
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