Forecast Last Updated at Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 6:43AM

Spring Begins at 1:32PM

Ski slopes are still open after a LONG winter with upwards of eleven feet of snow for the season on the mountaintops. But most residents will celebrate the beginning of Spring today. Spring will have sprung in fine fashion with pleasant temperatures and full sun. The White Legs Advisory remains in effect today for unsightly skin, long buried under layers of fleece.
Scattered clouds will develop tonight, and skies will become cloudy Sunday. Rain will develop Sunday afternoon with heavier rain coming Sunday night. Some thunder will be possible Sunday night; rain could be heavy at times (1" of rain or more will be possible). The "March to Spring" is a bumpy one--this year will be no exception. Temperatures will fall Monday with rain showers changing to snow showers. Accumulating snow will mostly be limited to 4000' and higher; however, a quick wet dusting of snow will be possible even lower Monday night. Tuesday looks gray and cool with light snow/flurries changing to light rain/drizzle. Temperatures will rebound to pleasant levels Wednesday. These wild, fast changes are "Classic Spring Weather" in the Southern Appalachians.

Saturday Hi: 64 Lo: 38 Daytime sun; Scattered clouds tonight; Light wind becoming SW 5-10 mph (breezy at higher elev's tonight)

Sunday Hi: 56 Lo: 40 Becoming cloudy; Rain developing in the afternoon, heavier at night; Light wind becoming SE 10-20 mph & gusty at night

Monday Hi: 44 Lo: 27 Mostly cloudy; Rain showers changing to snow showers especially at higher elev's; South wind 5-15 mph becoming NW & gusty at night

Tuesday Hi: 46 Lo: 31 Generally cloudy; Light AM rain (higher elevation light snow); Light PM rain or drizzle; Partial clearing at night; Chilly

Wednesday Hi: 60 Lo: 35 Lots of sun; Quickly milder

Further Out

Thursday - Increasing PM clouds; Pleasant temps; High in the upper 50s; Low in the upper 30s
Friday - Cloudy; Showers; High in the lower 50s; Low near 40 degrees

Forecast Discussion

First and foremost... enjoy a beautiful beginning to Spring today with high pressure in control.

But... Huge changes are looming. Skies will become cloudy Sunday, and rain will develop in the afternoon. This is associated with an upper-level low that will move out of Oklahoma today to NW Alabama by late Sunday, then directly across Western North Carolina Monday night. This system will lift a slug of Gulf Moisture across the region Sunday night with a period of heavy rain possible including thunder. 1" of rain will be possible right along the eastern escarpment of the North Carolina Mountains.

This upper-level low carries with it a pocket of cold air. As a result, Monday will have falling temperatures with rain showers changing to snow showers. Accumulating snow will mostly be limited to 4000' elevations and higher; however, a brief, wet dusting will be possible at lower elevations Monday night. Clouds, flurries/drizzle/light rain, and cool temperatures will continue Tuesday and even into Tuesday evening.

In classic Spring fashion, cold will become mild quickly Wednesday. Expect pleasant weather Wednesday and Thursday with scattered clouds. The next system (a similar upper-level low with less cold air to work with) will arrive Friday with clouds and rain showers.

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