CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you've had enough of the bitter cold of the Arctic blast, don't worry, it's almost over.
Wednesday was the coldest night of the year for the Carolinas, including the mountains where another night of sub-zero wind chills made it dangerous to be outside. In the Charlotte area, actual temperatures were in the low 20s but it felt like it was in the teens.
Several schools in the high country were on a delay, including Ashe, Avery, Mitchell and Watauga counties. A wind chill advisory remains in effect for Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties until noon Thursday.
Thursday's high in the Queen City is expected to reach just the upper 30s, but it's the beginning of a warming trend that will lead to above-average temperatures next week. First Warn meteorologist Iisha Scott said we could see temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s before things return closer to normal next week.
In the upper Midwest, wind chill reports dipped as low as 66 below zero in Ponsford, Minnesota. Minneapolis saw an actual air temperature of 27 below, marking the coldest weather in over 20 years.