Weekend weather: Cold and windy

Despite bouts of winter weather, the North Carolina Climate Office reports the Charlotte metro area experienced its driest November-to-January period on record.

Much of the snow and ice had little effect on overall moisture levels because of sustained cold temperatures, which led to sublimation — a process in which frozen precipitation turns directly into water vapor without melting.

Today: A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 27. Northwest wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 39. North northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Saturday night mostly clear, with a low around 20. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Light and variable wind. Sunday night partly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Next week: Warming with highs in the 50s and 60s.

The forecast is courtesy of the National Weather Service.