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🦃Strong cold front means ‘very unusual’ Thanksgiving

Posted at 10:04 PM, Nov 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-21 22:28:39-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- A strong cold front will bring much colder air to the region for Thanksgiving.  Afternoon high temperatures will be in the 30s to around 40°, and breezy conditions will produce wind chills in the 20s and lower 30s.

The record coldest high temperature for November 22 is 36° from 1929.  While Richmond will stay above that, it won't be by much.

It is very unusual to have a Thanksgiving that stays below 40°.  Prior to this year, it has only happened six other times, meaning only about 5% of our Thanksgivings have highs in the 30s.  The last time we failed to reach 40° was in 2000 when the high was 39°.

The coldest Thanksgiving was in 1930 when the high only reached freezing.   The warmest was in 1933 when it hit 77°, but we had a high of 75° as recently as 2007.

Thanksgiving will be sunny.  Historically, we have a low probably of rain.  Snowfall is even more rare, but we have had some instances of accumulating snow.  The most recent was 1989.

By the time we hit daybreak on Friday, morning lows will be in the teens and lower 20s.  The Richmond record is 20° from 2008.  These will be the coldest temperatures since mid-March.

High temperatures will recover back into the low and mid 40s under mostly sunny skies.

Highs will be in the 50s Saturday and around 60° on Sunday.

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