After a cold morning Wednesday, with wind chills dipping as low as -6 across parts of the mountains, a warming trend beginning Thursday will bring temperatures to about 10 degrees above average by next week.

Winds will continue to diminish throughout the day Thursday after a dry cold front pulls to the southeast of western North Carolina. Even with the passage of a cold front, however, temperatures Thursday should be a good 8 to 10 degrees warmer than Wednesday's across the Piedmont, with highs expected to warm into the low to mid 50s under mostly sunny skies.

After a brief cool down Friday, southwesterly flow increasing aloft will allow temperatures to continue to warm well above average into the first part of next week.

By Tuesday. the weather will certainly feel more "spring-like" with highs expected to hit into the mid 60s in Charlotte.

Of course, as is typical with an increase in flow from the southwest, moisture will also begin ramping up by late in the weekend, allowing for the chance for rain to return to the forecast late Sunday into Monday and Tuesday.