Widespread Showers Saturday
Good afternoon folks! The first rime ice of the season occurred this morning across the highest elevations as temps dipped into the low 20's, alongside NW gust around 40 - 55mph. Down below in the valleys we woke up to frost as temps settled into the low 30's and tonight we expect much of the same, however this go around widespread frost is a sure bet. Friday keeps sunny skies overhead and temps moderate some, however clouds move in late and showers arrive sometime Saturday morning. We expect showers to continue throughout the day on Saturday with the bulk of the action along the SC state line, while the TN line picks up roughly half of the amount found along the escarpment. We'll salvage the weekend on Sunday with clearing skies and enjoy a dry day Monday, however clouds will fill in as the day moves along due to an incoming cold front. This cold front is fast moving so the exact timing of the system is still up in the air but as of now we expect showers to sweep the region Tuesday, followed by cooler than average temps Wednesday into late next week. A quick peek at the mid to long range outlook and it seems we could be in for a cold end to the month and Halloween night!
Friday will be quiet and that's ok as we'll take the sunshine and slightly warmer temps as they reach the low 50's along the ridgelines, warming to the mid - upper 60's in the valleys. Friday night football will go off without a hitch as clouds slowly build across the region, helping to cap temps to the upper 30's - mid 40's.
A tropical system will be racing across the southeast, moving northeast from the panhandle of Florida to the Carolina/Virginia coast as the day moves along, bringing with it several inches of rain for the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Our part of the state will pick up a quarter - half inch of rain along the TN line, up to 1- 1.5" across the SC state line as the escarpment works to squeeze out a few more drops. Temps will be held to the mid 50's - low 60's, creating a somewhat bleak day across the region and overnight lows won't budge much, settling into the low - upper 50's depending upon elevation; showers come to an end Saturday night.
Sunday may start the day with an isolated shower or two but for the most part we expect clouds to start the day and clear out before midday. Temps will warm to the upper 50's - low 70's as southwest flow sets up shop across the mountains, making for a nice end to the weekend.
We expect another dry day on Monday with temps in the mid 50's - upper 60's as high clouds move in ahead of the incoming cold front, with showers slated to arrive sometime Tuesday morning. We'll stop here as the details regarding the cold front are still a bit fuzzy regarding timing, but we do know it will be chilly Wednesday into Friday of next week. Our next discussion will come out Sunday afternoon.