A blustery day will shift into a shivery night according to the Charleston, W.

Wednesday, March 01, 2000

A blustery day will shift into a shivery night according to the Charleston, W.Va., bureau of the National Weather Service.

Clouds bearing scattered showers are predicted to continue to pelt Lawrence County and the surrounding areas throughout the day, but unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to take a dive tonight, said meteorologist Nicole Belk.

"We’re looking at mostly cloudy skies today with brief showers," Ms. Belk said. "It will be windy with continued warm temperatures –  highs in the mid- to upper 60s and a southwest wind increasing from 15 to 20 mph."

As the sun dips behind the horizon, a frost and perhaps some flurries will hit the area, she added.

"It’s going to cool down tonight and be mostly cloudy with a chance of sprinkles and even a chance of snow flurries late," Ms. Belk said. "The lows tonight will be around the mid-30s with a northwest wind of about 10 to 20 mph."

Despite the temperature dip, the weather remains warmer – and wetter –  than in years past, she added.

"The temperatures are still very much above normal, which is 50 degrees," she said. "At a glance, we were above normal in terms of both temperature and precipitation. We had a few good rain events, which has put this month in the top 10 wettest Februaries on record at the Tri-State Airport with 5.40 inches of rainfall in one month."

The warmer, wetter weather is a result of several weather systems coming through that have tapped into the gulf moisture, bringing warmer air and rains to the area, she said.

"We have had high pressure lofts, which have helped us to keep warm down here at the surface," she said. "It will stay a little bit warmer than normal for the next few days, but by the weekend we are expecting a return closer to seasonable conditions with mostly cloudy skies and a chance of rain during the weekend, when high swill be in the 50s."

For Thursday, county residents can expect continued partly cloudy skies with highs a little below normal in the mid- to upper 40s, Ms. Belk said.

The warm temperatures might have lulled residents into a false sense of spring, but the possibility of snowfall still exists.

"We do have another low pressure system that’s going to brush by in the south, which could bring some precipitation," she said. "It’s still only the beginning of March, so there is always the possibility of getting cold weather and even some snow throughout the rest of the month."