ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Those hoping for a white Christmas in Western North Carolina are likely to be disappointed, as unseasonably warm weather is forecast to dominate the holiday period. But, forecasters say winter is far from finished, with signs pointing to a much colder and more active pattern heading into January.
The National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said a warm front moving through the region Tuesday is ushering in an unusually mild air mass. Aside from a few light mountain showers, most of the area is expected to remain dry, with clouds decreasing through the day.
High temperatures are forecast to climb well above normal through the Christmas holiday and into the weekend. Outside the mountains, highs are expected to reach the upper 60s to low 70s, with near-record warmth possible on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas, the weather service said.
That warmth, however, may be short-lived.
Forecasters say a significant pattern change is increasingly likely early next week, when a cold front — potentially tapping arctic air — could bring a sharp drop in temperatures. Highs on Monday could be roughly 30 degrees colder than Sunday, according to the weather service.
Long-range computer models are also hinting at a more active winter pattern later in January, with multiple opportunities for colder air and possible winter weather across parts of the eastern United States. Meteorologists caution that those signals are far from certain and will likely change as the timeframe approaches.
In the near term, Asheville’s forecast calls for highs in the mid-to-upper 60s through Friday, rising into the low 70s on Saturday. A chance of rain returns Sunday, followed by a dramatic cool-down Sunday night, with lows possibly dipping into the 20s and a high near the mid-30s on Monday.
While Christmas may feel more like spring, forecasters say winter could still make a strong appearance as the calendar turns to 2026.