How warm will the Carolinas get?

Once a warm front pushes north of the Charlotte region sometime early Friday, we're in for several days of temperatures that are far above seasonal averages.

In fact, we could make a run at record highs this weekend, when temperatures are expected to climb above the 70-degree mark.

The warm front will spread plenty of clouds and some rain into the region from late Wednesday until early Friday, as it slowly moves northward across the Southeast. After that, we'll be under the influence of high pressure off the Southeast coast.

If skies were reasonably clear, it's possible temperatures Saturday through Monday could push well into the 70s. The all-time records are 75 degrees Saturday (set in 1890) and Sunday (1960), and 77 degrees Monday (1907).

But it looks as if there'll be considerable cloudiness those days, and possibly even a few showers. That could serve to put a lid on temperatures, holding them in the upper 60s.  Either way, it's a far cry from our average high of 51 degrees at this time of year.

The big difference will be at night.  As the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., noted, Tuesday morning probably will be the last time for a week -- at least -- that temperatures fall below freezing in Charlotte. Our morning lows this weekend might not drop below the 50-degree mark.  That certainly will help keep the heating bills in check.

It continues to look as if some really cold air will spill into the Southeast toward the end of next week, but the jury remains out, in terms of how long the cold will hang around. Any outbreaks of cold air will be doing battle with a stubborn high pressure ridge off the Southeast coast.