A highly anomalous Arctic intrusion is arriving this evening, evidenced by gusty winds 25-30 MPH and plummeting dewpoints across much of the area as of 7PM Monday. Further north, some flurries were reported in the Charlotte metro area and as far south as Hartsville, SC. Here at home, the first freeze of the season will occur for the vast majority of us; ensure pets and plants are protected and safe tonight as temperatures will fall into the 20s. Wind chills could drop into the upper teens, prompting a Cold Weather Advisory for Dorchester County. (Layer up!) Despite full sunshine, temperatures may not crack 50° in the afternoon, owing to the strength of the Arctic blast. If these forecasts verify, new record low and record cold high temperatures will be set at the airport: the record low for November 11 is 29°, set in 1943, while the record cold high temperature is 54°, set in 1968.

Rest of the work week: More typical mid-November weather returns

The good news is that the Arctic blast will be relatively short-lived as the pattern remains largely progressive aloft, ushering the upper low out of the area and allowing temperatures to begin to recover under mostly sunny skies. Wednesday remains on the chilly side of normal, with another round of freezing temperatures not out of the question further inland. Closer to the metro area, temperatures will run in the mid-30s to start the day. We’ll warm to the mid-60s in the afternoon; still below normal for this point in November, but not nearly as out-of-bounds as we’ll feel Tuesday. The warming trend continues into the weekend, and by Friday, it’s likely we’re touching 70° once again in the afternoon — right where climatology says we should be for mid-November.

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