Another blast of arctic air has swept into NC. How cold will it get in the Triangle?

An Arctic blast is spreading across North Carolina this weekend, blanketing the state with frigid air Saturday and sending overnight wind chills plunging into single digits.

Here’s the forecast.

This weekend: Cold and getting colder

▪ Saturday will be the big chill, with an expected high around 33 degrees and a low of 18 degrees in Raleigh Saturday night. The Greensboro area may not get above freezing at all.

That’s cold, but well above the 17 degree record low maximum temperature in Raleigh for Jan. 20, which was set in 1985.

Gusty winds picked up mid-morning, dropping feels-like temperatures into the teens.

Dangerous wind chills in the single digits are expected Saturday night, with Raleigh forecast to feel like 7 degrees, Durham like 6 degrees, and Pittsboro just 3 degrees.

▪ Sunday will be only slightly better, with a high of 39 degrees. The low Sunday night is expected to be 18 degrees.

Winds will diminish as the frigid air sets in. Both days are expected to be clear and sunny.

White flag shelters still open

Managers of shelters in Raleigh and Durham have issued “white flag” alerts, meaning extra space will be available to accommodate people who need to get out of the cold to stay safe.

Shelters open at 5 p.m. and close at 8 a.m. unless weather conditions dictate otherwise.

• In Raleigh, the shelter for males is at 401 W. Cabarrus Street. For females, it’s the Bulla Building at 301 W. Jones St. Families will be sheltered at the Salvation Army, 1863 Capital Boulevard.

• Durham County Library locations will operate as warming centers Saturday, Monday and Tuesday during normal business hours.

Next week’s forecast: Warmer days ahead

As the front moves on, temperatures will lift next week across the state, starting Monday, when forecasters say the high will be 46 degrees, more in keeping with Raleigh’s average January high of about 50 degrees.

Each day next week will be a bit warmer, reaching into the 60s by Thursday and through the following weekend.

With that warm-up will come rain.

But the chance of wintry precipitation is not over yet for North Carolina.

Climatologically, when there’s a strong El Niño, snowstorms are often delayed into February along the Atlantic coast.

“It’s not over yet,” NWS meteorologist Nick Luchetti said Saturday.

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