Back into the 40's; Sunny all Weekend
Good morning folks! Most of SW NC picked up 0.10 - 0.25" of rain over the past 48 hours, with a few spots along the southern edge of Macon County where a half inch of rain fell from passing thunderstorms. Cloud cover is clearing the area as I write this discussion and sunny skies will stick around the rest of today (Thursday) through Monday! Noticeably dry air will funnel into the region after the front departs the region today, setting the stage for a gorgeous fall like end to the work week. Temps will slowly moderate as we move through the weekend, warming from the upper 70's - low 80's today to the mid 80's on Sunday, holding steady through the end of next week. Normal high temps across the valleys for the middle of September is 78 - 80°F. In addition to temps increasing through time, we'll lose the comfortable airmass as the high pressure system migrates to the east, changing the overall flow from northerly to southerly which translates to an uptick in moisture levels. Muggy-ish conditions are expected by Monday/Tuesday, followed by a return of pop up showers; summer lingers.
Temps tonight will drop into the low 40's - low 50's depending upon elevation, coupled with a steady breeze out of the northwest and a dry air mass that will make Friday morning truly feel like fall has arrived.
Temps quickly warm to the upper 70's - low 80's Friday afternoon across the lower elevations as sunshine dominates the landscape. We do not expect any rain to develop Friday through Monday, which is not unheard of this time of the year as we switch back and forth between tropical systems/cold fronts and high pressure systems. Temps warm a degree or two higher on Saturday, leveling out to the mid 80's on Sunday across the valleys, while the ridgelines above 5000' struggle to climb out of the 60's (70°F likely on Sunday). Overnight lows settle into the upper 40's - mid 50's Friday night under clear skies, warming each night by a degree or two till we settle into the mid 50's - low 60's Monday night; clear skies each night.
Monday keeps sunny skies overhead but moisture levels will be on the rise, possibly setting the stage for pop up showers to return Tuesday or Wednesday. We'll stop here and circle back on Saturday, sometime around 11am, with a better look at the middle of next week. ENJOY!