CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The National Weather Service has called for record cold temperatures across the Mountain State Thursday and Friday. The state is expected to take a nose dive in temperatures in most areas — crushing the coldest numbers in almost 20 years.
Andrew Beavers, a meteorologist at the NWS, said Friday’s current record is 4 degrees, which is the coldest temperature in Charleston since February 1996. The record for Thursday is -11 degrees. Huntington is expected to plummet -10 degrees by the evening, quashing the record of 6 degrees set back in January 1994. He said there is a possibility that record will break by several degrees Friday morning.
“In the Charleston area, we’re going to be getting down to about -9 degrees. During the day (Thursday), it will be the coldest day. We’re only looking to get to about 5 or 6 degrees. With the sun, it might warm up a little more, but we’re not looking to even get into the double digits,” said Beavers.
Beavers said Thursday could see wind chills in Charleston at -15 falling to -20 degrees later in the evening, making it the coldest record wind chill temperature. Friday’s winds are expected to be calmer with a wind chill of -8 degrees.
The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for the Eastern Mountain Counties including Preston to Mercer heading into Friday. Other counties are under a wind chill advisory.
The advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. Friday for Kanawha, Putnam, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Boone, Mason, Mingo, Jackson, Wood, Pleasants, Tyler, Roane, Wirt, Calhoun, Ritchie and Doddridge counties in West Virginia.