Sunshine and Temps in the 30's
Good afternoon folks! Today's shower coverage is slightly less than forecasted but rainfall totals are well on track with most everyone picking up 2 - 3" of rain since Friday. Several sites hit the 4" mark (Downtown Sylva and Cullowhee) and the extreme totals are out of the Andrews area, at 5.75" (Beaver Creek) and 5.84" (Valley River); as of 1:30pm Sunday. We'll pick up another half inch or so before coverage fizzles out around midnight and then clearing skies move in, setting up a sunny stretch of weather that will last from Monday into Friday, possibly even next weekend; if you need to cut, dry and bail then this is your week. Temps will be spring like Monday and Tuesday, returning to normal levels by Wednesday/Thursday and continuing their climb back to the 80's by next weekend.
A front will cross the region late this evening and mark the beginning of the end for the rain, with temps settling into the mid 40's - low 50's across the area. Clear skies will be overhead by sunrise and temps will be slow to respond, only reaching the upper 40's - low 50's along the ridgelines and mid - upper 60's for the valleys! Clear skies and strong winds Monday night will bring temps down into the upper 30's for the highest elevations, while the valleys settle into the low - mid 40's.
Tuesday warms by a few degrees over Monday under continuing sunshine, but Tuesday night may be the coldest night of the week, especially for the valleys due to ideal radiational cooling. Temps settle into the upper 30's - low 40's for places like Bryson City, Franklin, Sylva and Cullowhee, with the higher elevations a few degrees warmer; all under clear skies.
Wednesday keeps the steady warming trend alive with highs in the upper 50's - low 70's depending upon elevation, eventually leveling out to the upper 60's - mid 80's by next weekend. Overnight lows follow suit, going from the mid 40's - low 50's Wednesday night to the low - upper 50's by Friday night. There is a slight chance for isolated showers sometime Wednesday night into Thursday, but the models show a weak front and although this may change, we do not foresee any issues if you have outdoor plans.
Our next discussion will come out Tuesday afternoon, until then enjoy the gorgeous spring like weather!