THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412120080
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Any doubt that winter is at hand was swept away Sunday as the coldest weather yet this season blew in from Canada.
The mercury, having peaked at 78 degrees in Norfolk on Wednesday, dropped to 41 by 10 p.m. Sunday. Throw in the effect of northerly winds gusting to 28 mph, and it felt like it was just 20.
And it was only expected to get colder, with the overnight low forecast to be barely above freezing in Hampton Roads.
Elsewhere in Virginia and North Carolina, it was even colder Sunday night. And snow fell in some places. In Richmond, it was 33. In Charlottesville, it was 31. In Roanoke it was 27. And in Staunton it was 24.
That was nothing compared to what was happening in far western Virginia, however. In Hot Springs, the temperature had dropped to 10 degrees by 9 p.m. and the wind chill reading was 21 below zero.
Today won't be much warmer. While it is expected to be sunny, the high in Norfolk is only expected to be in the mid-40s and northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph will make it feel much colder.
Tonight should be fair and cold with a low again near 30.
Tuesday is expected to be a chilly repeat of today.
High pressure over the Midwest and low pressure over New England are combining to bring brisk northerly winds and lower temperatures to the region. And high pressure over Canada will likely continue to provide cool weather for the next several days.
As cold as it felt Sunday, no record was set. The 1880 mark of 16 stands.
KEYWORDS: WEATHER by CNB