Risky wind chills over the weekend

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Northern Virginia from 6 p.m.to midnight Friday.

Forecasters say the temperature will sink to minus 15 degrees Friday night, with a wind chills as low as minus 30 degrees.

Highs are only forecast in the lower 20s Saturday and Sunday, with early morning lows expected in the teens Saturday and the middle single digits Sunday. However, high temperatures will feel more like 1°F and low ones like -22°F, according to AccuWeather’s RealFeel, which factors in variables such as humidity, cloud cover, sun intensity, and wind. A wind chill advisory is likely.

The relatively mild winter will take a frigid turn this weekend as temperatures will reach only into the teens and wind chills will drop to subzero range. Lower visibility with blowing snow will make these squalls risky to drive through, especially as some will be happening through the evening commute.

Locations directly over this band could see around a foot of snow, with localized higher amounts possible.

Tonight: Skies will be mostly clear with temperatures falling near zero.

“The very low wind chills have the potential to result in hypothermia if care is not taken to stay warm and sheltered”, the advisory states.

While parts of northeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota could see at least four inches of snow by Sunday, Sioux Falls probably will not see that much, the National Weather Service said. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Afternoon temps will be near 15°F with wind chills near or just above zero most of the time. A Wind Chill Warning is in effect for Western Maine from Saturday night through Sunday morning.

Temperatures rebound early next week with highs in the 40s Tuesday and snow changing over to heavy rain. Wind chill values as low as -20.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, high near 34. High near 41. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Sunday morning will be cloudy with a chance of light snow in the morning, then a chance of light snow in the afternoon.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 27.