15-degree low with minus 5 windchill recorded at Mount Mitchell as cold rolls over NC

Mount Mitchell, long considered the gateway for extreme weather in North Carolina, had a minus 5.6 degree windchill shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Meanwhile, temperatures at the peak were a frigid 15 degrees, according to data recorded by NCHighpeaks.org.

Grandfather Mountain (about 60 miles north of Mount Mitchell) had its own weather extremes Tuesday, with a 9.7 degree windchill and a 78 mph wind gust, offiials said in a Facebook post.

The chilling numbers come as much of North Carolina is expected to see its coldest temperatures so far this season, particularly in the eastern part of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

A low of 27 degrees is forecast Wednesday night for Raleigh, with 28 degrees in Durham and 31 degrees in Charlotte, forecasters say. Lows will likely remain in the 40s for the state the rest of the week.

The cold settling across the state is due to a “strong Canadian high pressure” system that also prompted freeze warnings from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday for Sampson, Wayne and Cumberland counties, according to the National Weather Service. All three counties can expect to see the coldest temperatures of the season.

Snow is not in the forecast, though snow machines are hard at work on the state’s popular ski slopes.

Mount Mitchell State Park is home to the highest point east of the Mississippi River, at 6,684 feet. It holds multiple weather records — including the lowest temperature reported in North Carolina: minus 34 degrees on Jan. 21, 1985.

This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 7:36 AM with the headline "15-degree low with minus 5 windchill recorded at Mount Mitchell as cold rolls over NC."