Cold weekend; rain-snow showers Saturday, maybe

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After a rather steady dose of generally seasonal temperatures, with a few above-average days, we're in store for a return to winter this weekend.

The strong cold front I wrote about yesterday is still headed for the Carolinas and will cross the region Friday night. The front is expected to be moisture-starved, but there could be a few rain showers Friday evening. Some wet snow could mix with the rain in the foothills, and the higher mountain elevations probably will pick up an inch or two of snow.

Saturday probably will start sunny, cold and breezy.

Highs on Saturday likely won't climb much above the lower 40s.

During the day, an upper-level low pressure system will approach the area from the northwest. That means clouds will increase, and a few showers probably will break out Saturday afternoon and evening.

Harry Gerapetritis, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., says temperatures Saturday will be above freezing in the Charlotte region. But the air mass covering the Carolinas will be quite cold (below freezing except near the surface), and the precipitation could fall as a rain-snow mix during the afternoon and evening.

With temperatures above freezing, accumulations won't be an issue.  But if you're interested in seeing snowflakes, you might get your wish sometime Saturday afternoon or evening.

Once the upper-level low moves off to the east Saturday night, skies will clear and temperatures will nose-dive. Don't be surprised to see readings in the upper teens Sunday morning, and despite full sunshine, the afternoon highs aren't likely to be much more than about 45 degrees.

The cold snap will be short-lived -- two days.  That means afternoon highs will be back in the lower 50s by Monday.

Incidentally, as we move into the second half of February, our average daily high and low temperatures are climbing. At this time of the year, Charlotte's average highs and lows are 55 and 33. That's about 4 or 5 degrees warmer than at the coldest point, back in early January. By March 1, our average high is 59 degrees, and we reach the 60-degree mark March 5.