A “cut-off” low is an area of low pressure in the atmosphere separated or cut off from the main atmospheric circulation. That means it does not feel the steering effects of the westerly winds and sits and spins in one spot for several days until something comes to push it out. We get cut-off lows in the Southeast quite often. My most memorable one was in May 1992 when I was working temporarily in Asheville, NC. That week a cold and wet low pressure center over the area dropped a reported 60 inches of snow (with snowdrifts, and some suggestions by local folks that the observers were fluffing the snow) during May 5-9, while Mount Mitchell got 30 inches. In Asheville, at a lower elevation, we had five days of cold rain.
Next week, another cut-off low is predicted to sit over the Southeast for most of the week. Since this one is in fall instead of early spring, I don’t expect to see snow, but it will likely be gray, wet, cooler due to the clouds, and perhaps a bit breezy until the cut-off low gets kicked out to the east late in the week. It is tough to predict exactly when that will occur, so the low could just stick around for a couple of days or stay over us all week. Areas on the periphery of the low will see limited effects, so where it sits and spins will determine your local weather. It should be gone by the end of next week if not sooner. You can read more about cut-off lows at https://www.weatherology.com/trending/articles/Professor-Paul-Cut-Off-Low.html.
