Rowan weather: Bitter cold, wind and a chance of snow coming

Published 7:58 am Friday, February 13, 2015

If you think it’s cold now, just wait until tomorrow morning, or Monday morning. Lows in the teens and blustery winds will make Saturday night and Sunday feel bitterly cold.

Right now, it’s 23 degrees, and with the breeze, it feels like 17 degrees.

Today’s mostly sunny skies should allow us to get to 38 degrees, and the north wind will calm in the afternoon, allowing for a clear, cold night, with a low of 18.

Valentine’s Day will be mostly sunny and warmer, with a high of 48. But … southwest winds will start out at 5-10 mph, then increase to 11-16 mph, with gusts around 28 mph. Saturday night’s low will drop to 16, with those southwest winds at 13-22 mph eventually shifting to the northwest. Gusts could be as high as 37 mph. That could lead to a wind chill factor of -7 degrees.

Be sure you’ve covered or closed all vents and windows in your crawl space or basement. Leave a faucet dripping. Check on pets and friends, family and neighbors.

Sunday will be sunny, but the high will be only 28 degrees with northwest wind at 9-15 mph, and gusts up to 25 mph. The wind chill will make it feel like we’re in the single digits.

And Sunday night, the predicted low is 13, but it could be into the single digits in some areas.

President’s Day Monday will be partly sunny with a high of 36. A 50 percent chance of snow showers comes in Monday night, with a low around 27 degrees.

Tuesday’s 70 percent chance of rain and show showers comes with a high near 38. Expect the same conditions Tuesday night, with a low around 30. It’s hard to say what will fall, but it could include sleet or freezing rain.

The chance of snow showers is 30 percent Wednesday, with partly sunny skies and a high near 38. The low will be back down to 16.

Thursday will be partly sunny, but still cold, with a high near 39.

It might be a good weekend to stay in with a hot drink and a big pot of soup. Be cautious of using space heaters near anything flammable.