Christmas snow in Asheville, WNC? Extreme wind chill howls toward mountains
ASHEVILLE - An unusual arctic blast is headed toward Western North Carolina, bringing bitter cold and wind chills as low as negative 20, forecasters say.
Unfortunately for those hoping for snow, the northerly wind mass will be dry, meaning a frigid but clear Christmas Day.
Precipitation is in the forecast, but will likely bring a mix of rain and snow Dec. 22-23, said National Weather Service meteorologist Christiaan Patterson.
"The moisture that is going to be available will be ahead of the front. That is why there is a chance of rain and very, very light ice accumulation," Patterson said.
More:Answer Man: Will Asheville see a white Christmas this year?
After that, on the late morning of Dec. 23, the dry arctic air will move straight down into the mountains. It is the same weather system that buried parts of the Northeastern United States under 2 feet of snow and knocked out power for more than 80,000 customers.
Around Asheville, temperatures will drop as low as 7 degrees, but strong winds will make it feel much colder.
That should mean wind chills of around minus 5 to minus 8 around Asheville.
Higher and more northerly parts of WNC could drop to the minus teens.
"When you go farther north, like in Avery County, we're seeing negative 20 wind chill in the forecast," Patterson said.
Asheville is expected to have special "Code Purple" homeless shelters open. The danger for those without permanent housing, homeless advocates say, is not so much the cold itself, but the quick drop in temperatures that that can happen in the mountains.
More:Asheville Primary School OK'd for use as temporary homeless shelter, but there's a catch
"The purpose of the Code Purple procedure is to provide a coordinated effort among Asheville and Buncombe County shelters and other organizations to provide emergency overflow shelter to people experiencing homelessness when the temperature is at or below 32 degrees (including wind chill)," according to the city government emergency shelter online site. "During Code Purple, participating shelters will provide more beds with fewer requirements than their typical programming."
Homeowners should take special care with animals and protect pipes from freezing. According to the American Red Cross:
Remove, drain and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
If there is no separate valve, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe ― even at a trickle ― helps prevent pipes from freezing.
For some businesses, the cold could be a boon. Area ski resorts, while open, have multiple slopes closed due to lack of snow and warm weather, but the cold brings a chance for them to turn on snowmaking equipment.
More:Answer Man: Are Western North Carolina ski areas open yet? Natural or manufactured snow?
More:Answer Man: Will ice skating return to Harrah's in Asheville anytime soon?
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Christmas snow in Asheville, WNC? Extreme wind chill on way
