Sunshine at the End of the Tunnel
Good Morning Folks! For the most part SW NC picked up 1 - 1.5" of rain over the past 24 hours, ending Thursday morning at 9:30am, with two spots along the escarpment exceeding the 2" mark; Lake Toxaway at 2.21" and Rosman at 2.19". We'll pick up another 1 - 2" of rain today through Friday, with another round moving through Saturday night into Sunday morning and this second round will actually end the long stretch of gloomy and wet weather, setting up a gorgeous Monday to start next week. This much deserved sunny weather next week will not last long (can't catch a break) as yet another system is poised to swing through sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. Temps today through the weekend will remain above average and cool off some early next week as cooler air invades from the north and west, however it will not be frigid as temps look to be only a handful of degrees above normal.
The remainder of the morning (Thursday) will feature showers gradually winding down, but drizzle and the occasional light shower is likely this afternoon, with a pick up in coverage tonight into Friday morning. It seems 1 - 2" of rain will fall from this morning into late Friday morning, with spotty showers and drizzle falling the remainder of the day (sort of like today). Temps today will hit the upper 40's along the ridgelines to the upper 50's in the valleys and not fall too far tonight, settling into the mid 40's - low 50's. Temps cool off slightly tomorrow, only reaching the upper 40's - mid 50's, however overnight lows Friday night will be warmer than tonight as they dip into the upper 40's for most of the region (very little movement along the ridgelines).
Saturday will not be a total washout as it follows a similar pattern to last weekend, although we wont see as much sunshine, but a lull will occur during the morning hours and showers will develop once again closer to sunset, perhaps as early as 2 - 4pm. Shower coverage ramps up Saturday night, peaking just before sunrise and then coverage will drop like a rock as the morning moves along, with possible sunshine after midday! Temps climb to the low - upper 50's both days and its possible temps hit the low 60's Sunday afternoon, although windy conditions will make it feel cooler than the actual temperature outside. Overnight lows Saturday night settle into the mid 40's - low 50's once again, but plummet to the upper 20's - mid 30's Sunday night under clear skies.
Monday and possibly Tuesday keep sunny skies overhead, with a system arriving either late Tuesday or early Wednesday that will bring us additional rainfall. Temps remain warm for late February as they hit the mid - upper 50's each afternoon in the valleys, climbing to the mid - upper 40's along the ridgelines.
Our next discussion will come out sometime Saturday, perhaps after midday and will focus on the short lived pattern change coming in early next week.