Widespread Rain on Wednesday
Good afternoon folks! We are wrapping up the weekend on a slightly chilly note as NW flow continues across the region, with spotty showers expected to carry over into the pre dawn hours on Monday. Temps will drop enough tonight to kick rain over to snow across the highest ridgelines but we'll start out the work week with clearing skies and sunshine, allowing temps to warm up a bit. Sunshine carries over into Tuesday and the frost threat for Monday night seems to have dissipated. Our next rain event arrives Wednesday early afternoon and showers will continue into the late evening hours, followed by a shorter lived and lighter event Thursday afternoon. Sunshine returns Friday and fair weather will carry over into Saturday for a pleasant start to next weekend. Temps will warm to normal levels by Tuesday but dip to 10 degrees below normal on Thursday (much like today) and then make a run at the upper 70's by next weekend!
NW flow with an embedded shortwave will keep scattered light showers going across the region overnight and as temps dip to the upper 20's - low 30's above 5500' rain is expected to transition to snow. Light accumulations are likely across the Smokies and Great Balsams, but this will be a minor event and only noteworthy because its late April. Temps elsewhere across SW NC will dip into the low 40's and NW winds will hold to 10 - 20mph through the night.
Clearing skies will make up the morning hours and sunny skies the afternoon hours as we kickoff a new work week. NW winds should calm down after midday and temps will push into the mid 50's - upper 60's depending upon elevation, which is a few degrees shy of normal for late April. Overnight lows will dip into the upper 30's - low 40's as clear skies sit overhead Monday night.
Sunny skies continue on Tuesday and as we transition to a more southerly flow, temps will warm even further into the low 60's - mid 70's. Clouds fill in slowly Tuesday night and temps settle into the upper 40's - low 50's across the region.
Wednesday features our next widespread rain event as a cold front pushes into the region from the west during the early afternoon hours, but we expect southerly flow ahead of the front to develop showers across the area as soon as the mid morning hours. An inch of rain is a good bet for all of SW NC and some showers will be heavy with a slight chance for strong thunderstorms. Temps Wednesday warm to the upper 50's - upper 60's depending upon elevation. Even as the front pushes east we expect showers to continue across the region through the evening hours, waning as we push into the pre dawn hours on Thursday.
A short lived break in the action is expected Thursday morning but another disturbance will arrive Thursday late afternoon that will bring light showers to the area, ending before sunrise on Friday. Temps will be in the upper 40's - low 60's depending upon elevation but we'll warm to the upper 70's by Saturday!
We'll stop here and circle back on Tuesday. Enjoy the sunshine!