The downtown calendar is still quiet today — the Teen Game Club at the library tomorrow is the first thing on the books this week — so we'll let the weather do the talking, because the weather has plenty to say.
Right now it's fair and 62°F, calm at ground level with northwest gusts up to 25 mph kicking in by afternoon. This is the sharp Monday we promised yesterday: good light, dry air, almost no humidity. If you've been sitting on a hike, this is the day. The Mill Mountain Star trail is a ten-minute drive and a short climb; McAfee Knob is about forty minutes up 311 and worth the early start. The Blue Ridge Parkway is wide open and the dogwood is just starting.
Tonight is the pivot. The Freeze Warning kicks in at midnight and runs through 9 AM, with patchy frost and a low near 34°F. If you're parked outside and you care about your wipers, flip them up. After tomorrow morning, that's probably it for cold nights — the forecast jumps quickly from here: 72°F Tuesday, 79°F Wednesday, and sun straight through to 85°F by Friday. A week that starts in coats and ends in short sleeves.
For today: RND Coffee is open around the corner for a slow start, Martin's patio catches the afternoon sun once the wind settles, and A Few Old Goats is right downstairs when you're ready to trade the trail for a pint. Back tomorrow with what's on for the rest of the week.