Bitterly cold temps will be brief, but intense

Strong winds gusting to as much as 30 mph will make it feel 10 to 15 degrees cooler for much of the day, WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.

"A cold, windy day today," Gardner said. "The wind chill is going to make it feel like the teens and low 20s throughout the day today. That's what you really need to prepare for."

Tuesday will be the coldest day the Triangle has had since Feb. 4, 2011.

Late Monday, some areas saw snow flurries falling, including Sanford, Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills and Rocky Mount.

Temperatures should bottom out in the mid 20s by early Tuesday morning. The cold air will stay around Tuesday, with highs only reaching the upper 30s for much of central North Carolina.

"Boone and areas near the Virginia border could see several inches (of snow)," Gardner said. "There is a winter weather advisory in effect for the northern mountains tonight and into the first part of the day Tuesday."

Daytime highs in the Triangle will climb back into the 40s to near 50 Wednesday and Thursday, but lows should stay in the mid 20s, Gardner said. 

Above average temperatures will return late in the week, with highs Friday, Saturday and Sunday climbing back into the upper 50s and low 60s. 

"A lot of times we get into January and we get into cruise control with colder temperatures," Gardner said. "That's not going to be the case later this week and this weekend. We're going to be riding that temperature roller-coaster.