Think it’s cold? Temperature just hit single digit at this spot in North Carolina

Some of the coldest air of the season has settled across North Carolina, but Mount Mitchell is making the rest of the state look toasty by comparison.

It was 8 degrees atop the state park early Thursday, according to NCHighPeaks.com.

That was at 12:37 a.m., when there was likely no one around to savor the feel of the stinging windchill on their cheeks.

By sunrise, it was little better, with a balmy temperature of 23 degrees and frost hanging thick in the trees.

The mountain peak is near Burnsville, about 37 miles northeast of Asheville.

The National Weather Service says much of the state saw lows between 23 and 26 degrees overnight Wednesday, and that will continue overnight Thursday with more lows in the 20s.

A slight warming trend is ahead for the weekend, however, accompanied by a 40 to 60 percent chance of rain in the Foothills and Piedmont.

Forecasters expect it will be in the 60s on Christmas Day in North Carolina, thwarting anyone’s dream of a white Christmas.

And yes, that warming trend includes the mountains.

At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi and is known for having some of the most extreme weather on the East Coast. It is not uncommon for the peak to see feet of snow during winter storms.

In February, wind gusts at the park surpassed 120 mph, fast enough to hit Category 3 hurricane strength.