Weather Permitting: We've got a chilly weekend ahead. Is the groundhog right?

Phil the Groundhog says "Six more weeks of winter."

The forecast says, "70 degrees in Fayetteville by the middle of next week."

Who to trust? Who to trust?

I don't have a groundhog here at Chateau Weatherhound on top of the old Lillington town dump, so I had to ask our 15-year-old slobber hound Thor what he thought. Did he see his shadow?

"Shadow schmadow!" he says. "Where's breakfast?"

So, we're left to our own devices to determine how the next six weeks will go. But across the Cape Fear region, it's looking more likely that after this upcoming stretch of clouds and chill, things are definitely looking milder.

Here's the setup

A stalled front lingers to our south, pumping moisture into cooler air over the Carolinas. This will continue to bring the region clouds and scattered light rain through the day, holding temperatures in the mid-40s.

Much colder air is working its way south, however, and should arrive in Fayetteville on Friday morning. You'll know when it arrives as winds swing to the north and clouds disappear. There's a minimal chance that the last bits of moisture will fall as spits of sleet Friday morning, but nothing to hamper the morning commute.

Highs will hold at about 45 in Fayetteville, with a biting north wind, then drop like a rock at sunset. We'll probably be in the upper 20s by midnight, with 23 or so a good call for sunrise Saturday and a wind chill in the mid-teens.

The weekend

Sunny, but cold on Saturday. High pressure and a north wind will hold the Cape Fear region in the upper 30s to about 40, despite abundant sunshine. Overnight lows will slide below freezing again.

Sunday looks a bit warmer as high-pressure slides off the coast. Clouds return as a low-pressure system moves to our south, and there's a chance of brief light rain in the afternoon. Fayetteville should reach 50 for a high.

Down the road

Look for a warmer week across the region as the southeast ridge rebuilds. Monday will be sunny and 60, with temperatures climbing daily. By midweek, Fayetteville should see the high side of 70, barring clouds. Next weekend looks potentially a bit wet, but nothing frozen — no matter what Phil the Groundhog says.

Have a great weekend!

Got a weather question? Chick Jacobs can be reached at ncweatherhound@gmail.com or NCWeatherhound on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville, NC weather forecast for the week