It was 8 degrees at 5:30 this morning. By 6:30, it had dropped to 5 degrees.

The viciously cold weather is not through with us yet; our high today will be just 29, and there’s a wind chill advisory through 10 a.m.

It will be sunny, but we’ll have winds from the west northwest at 5-8 mph. Tonight’s low will be 10, with light north northeast wind. Look for single digits in many areas of the county.

We are under another wind chill advisory from 7 tonight to 11 a.m. Saturday. Frostbite and hypothermia are real possibilities with the chill. Dress in layers and protect your hands and face with gloves, scarves and hats.

Due to extremely dry conditions and the wind, Saturday and Sunday will have increased fire danger. Rowan has already had numerous house fires this week.

Saturday will be sunny, but just 29 again, with north wind at 5-7 mph. The predicted low will be 10, with north wind around 5 mph.

We manage to get above freezing Sunday, with a high of 34. Winds will shift to the south southwest around 6 mph. The low will be 23.

Then Monday brings new problems — a 50 percent chance of freezing rain and sleet before 11 a.m., changing to rain or freezing rain, then rain. It will be cloudy and 39.

Little accumulation is expected, but roads could become treacherous.

Monday night has a 40 percent chance of rain before 3 a.m., but the low will be around freezing.

We get a real reprieve Tuesday, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 51. The low will be 27.

Wednesday won’t be quite as warm, with a high of 47 and mostly sunny skies. The low will be 28.

Thursday should be mostly sunny and 51.