Oak Ridge Today

NWS: Temps above normal in 2022, but record cold Christmas Eve

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Image courtesy National Weather Service Morristown

The average temperatures in 2022 were above the normal temperatures in East Tennessee, but there were record cold temperatures reported on Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said.

The number of cold hours around Christmas in late December might have seemed long, but it was not a record-breaker, the NWS said.

“The arctic front that ushered in this outbreak of cold weather moved through during the early morning hours on December 23,” the NWS said. Between then and the end of the cold streak, several locations recorded more than 100 consecutive hours at or below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Wise, a city in southwest Virginia north of Tennessee’s Tri-Cities, reported 107 hours below freezing, the NWS said. That’s equivalent to about 4.5 days. Oak Ridge was below freezing for 106 hours and Knoxville for 104 hours, both also close to 4.5 days.

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Temps could stay below freezing through Christmas

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The extreme cold wind chills will continue much of the day on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. When going outside, dress appropriately. Wear several layers of clothes, coat, hat, and gloves. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)

Temperatures could stay below freezing through Christmas, and a wind chill warning remains in effect for Oak Ridge through early Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The wind chill warning expires at 1 p.m. Saturday. The NWS forecast said wind chill values could range between -3 and 7 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds of between 5 and 10 miles per hour. Scattered snow flurries are possible between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday.

The high Saturday is forecast near 22. The low Saturday night is forecast at 12.

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Heat index in Kingston could hit 105 on Friday

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Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

The heat index in the region is forecast to be in the high 90s or 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday and as high as 105 degrees in Kingston on Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The high in Oak Ridge is forecast at 97 degrees on Thursday. The heat index is forecast to be a bit higher than that in the region. It is forecast at 99 degrees in Knoxville on Thursday and 100 in Kingston. The heat index includes the effect of humidity and measures how hot it will feel.

The forecast calls for an even higher heat index on Friday. Kingston is forecast to have a heat index of 105 on Friday, Knoxville will feel like 102 degrees, and Chattanooga could have a heat index of 106, the NWS said.

“Looks like a few more hot days ahead with heat indices exceeding the century mark in the southern valley,” the Weather Service said in a social media post. “As of now, Friday looks warmest, however there will be a front in the area during the afternoon, which could alter things.”

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Updated: Thursday closings—schools, Y-12, Roane State, AC Courthouse

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Oak Ridge Turnpike and Bus Terminal Road Snow on Feb. 18, 2015

Schools and many offices remained closed Thursday after a icy winter storm on Monday followed by this snow on Wednesday morning.

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:21 a.m. Feb. 19.

The temperature the next few days is expected to be brutally cold, and schools and some government offices and contractors have announced they’ll be closed Thursday, or for the rest of the week, because of the weather and road conditions.

Schools in Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Clinton, and Roane County will all be closed Thursday. Roane State Community College will also be closed.

Schools in Clinton and Anderson and Roane counties will also be closed Friday. The Central Office in Anderson County will be closed for the rest of the week, and the Central Office in Roane County will not report Thursday. [Read more…]

Dangerously cold wind chills through Sunday morning; snow possible this week

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Dangerously Cold Wind Chills

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Dangerously cold wind chills could drop to between 0 and -10 degrees Fahrenheit in the Tennessee Valley tonight through Sunday morning and even lower, between -10 and -25, in the mountains, forecasters said. And there is a chance of snow near Oak Ridge this week.

Those not dressed appropriately overnight could be susceptible to hypothermia or frostbite. Exposed pipes may freeze, and the cold poses a threat to outdoor pets and livestock, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The NWS said exposed pipes should be insulated or covered, and pets and livestock should be brought in or provided shelter. Forecasters also recommended checking on the elderly or those without sufficient heat. [Read more…]

TVA meets winter peak demand record

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KNOXVILLE—The Tennessee Valley Authority met a record-breaking winter demand for electricity Friday morning with an estimated 33,345 megawatts when the average temperature across the region hovered at 7 degrees.

This would be TVA’s highest demand for electricity since the summer of 2007 and third-highest in TVA history, a press release said. The previous winter record was 32,572 megawatts set on Jan. 16, 2009.

Meeting the record demand required the combined efforts of TVA’s employees and generating facilities, coordination with the Valley’s 155 local power companies and large industrial customers, and the cooperation of businesses and households to conserve, the press release said.

The release said TVA received 29 percent of its power from coal-fired plants, 21 percent from nuclear plants, 24 percent from natural gas plants, 12 percent from hydroelectric dams, 2 percent from wind farms, and 12 percent from power market purchases. [Read more…]

TVA power demand hits second-highest winter peak

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TVA Offices in Chattanooga

The Tennessee Valley Authority offices in Chattanooga are pictured above. (Photo courtesy TVA)

Power demand hit a peak of 32,460 megawatts at 9 a.m. Tuesday, the second-highest winter peak in Tennessee Valley Authority history.

The preliminary peak power demand occurred when the average temperature in the Tennessee Valley was a frigid 4 degrees, TVA said.

In a press release, the public utility said electricity use is now coming down. [Read more…]