Kevin Myatt is The Roanoke Times' weather columnist.

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• Many looking past mild, quiet week toward possibly wild weekend
• Sprinkles or flurries possible Tuesday, but maybe something bigger for the weekend?
• For now, it looks like a quiet, mostly mild week ahead for SW Virginia
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The early returns for this week's weather were way off the mark.

Just a few days ago, this looked like it would be warm, dry week as high pressure built in from the west. A few days of 70-degree weather didn't seem out of the question.

But it has ended up being showery, and while not chilly, it hasn't been that warm, either.

The details changed the weather picture. First, there was a weak cold front that slipped in over the weekend, allowing winds to switch to an easterly direction, which brought in Atlantic moisture.

Then, a low pressure system formed along the front on the coast. This had been expected to develop but was a wee bit stronger and farther west than some of the early computer models suggested. That brought more rain farther inland -- though still not the kind of soaker we need for our long-term drought problems.

But we may yet get a day or two that gets close to 70, as this low pressure system moves away today and finally allows some of that warmer air to move in from the west by Thursday and Friday.

Any warm-up will be short-lived: A weekend cold front will likely take us back to highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.

Early returns from computer models point to a strong chance of below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation much of the next two weeks.