Coldest Air in the Last Few Years?

During Weather on the Ones this morning, you have heard me mention that the Arctic blast for the end of the week is expected to bring some of the coldest weather we've had in the last few years. Highs Friday may not even make it out of the 20s in some spots and morning lows should drop to the teens Friday and Saturday morning. So when is the last time we've had temperatures this cold? Here's a look at some information passed along by the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh...

Most recent dates at RDU with highs below 32

• December 14, 2005: 31
• January 19, 2005: 30
• January 18, 2005: 30

Most recent dates at RDU with lows in the teens

• January 21, 2008: 15
• January 20, 2008: 18
• February 19, 2007: 19
• February 17, 2007: 19
• February 7, 2007: 15

Last dates at RDU where the low was in the single digits

• January 29, 2000: 7
• January 28, 2000: 1

A couple of notes about some of those past cold temperatures... The single digit lows in 2000 occurred following the record January 2000 snowstorm that dumped over 20 inches of snow on the Triangle. The most recent high of 30 at RDU on January 19, 2005 was set on the day that about a half of inch of snow paralyzed the Triangle. Snow that accumulated on roadways that day created gridlock around Raleigh trapping motorists on areas highways for hours. Some school kids even had to spend the night at school because of the road conditions that afternoon.

Fortunately, this week's cold blast looks to be a dry one. Yesterday, there were some hints in the models for a slight chance for precipitation on Sunday. However, Sunday now appears to stay dry.

Stay tuned for the latest weather updates with Weather on the Ones only on News 14 Carolina!