Much colder ... in time for Christmas

We've been talking for so long about a possible change to more wintry conditions in the Carolinas, and it looks more than ever as if a big cool down is coming in time for Christmas.

The computer models are in agreement that a shot of arctic air will push into the eastern United States next weekend and hang around through Christmas.

For now, it looks like dry cold -- i.e., no snow or ice.  But with temperatures that cold, even a minor disturbance zipping across the Carolinas could bring a little holiday excitement.

The National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., is hinting at the change in its latest forecast, predicting a high in the upper 40s next Friday. Its forecast range is seven days, so it'll be interesting to see what the prediction for next Saturday (Dec. 22) is.

If some of the forecasts verify, we could be in for a few days when high temperatures struggle to hit 40 degrees and morning lows are in the teens. That would be around Christmas.

Before all that happens, we're finally looking at a chance of measurable rain on Sunday and Monday. The heaviest precipitation is expected across Georgia and western South Carolina, but the computer models paint a swath of a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch in much of the Charlotte region.

We'll update this Christmas forecast over the weekend.  With many people hitting the road for holiday visits, the weather will be a big issue.