Dry through Wed; Showers Return Thur

Good morning folks! Temps bottomed out a handful of degrees colder than expected across Haywood county this morning, with reports of frost on the ground as temps dipped into the mid - upper 20's. This will be our last morning with frost or freeze for the next 5 - 7 days and although chances decline for freezing temps with each passing day, there could always be a late season cold snap (late April - early May). Looking past the cold start this morning we expect sunshine and dry weather to continue into Wednesday, with temps pushing to near 80°F on Wednesday across the lower elevations. A cold front approaches the region Wednesday night and our first chance for rain since last Thursday develops, with coverage increasing on Thursday. Shower coverage should extend into Friday with the passage of a second cold front and we could end up dealing with a handful of strong thunderstorms, but unfortunately confidence remains low for the end of the week. We'll continue to follow the NWS' lead and keep shower chances in the forecast through the weekend, however we are not certain as to which way the weekend will go (isolated showers, on and off sunshine OR cloudy with scattered showers) but hopefully will know more by Wednesday.

Sunshine sits overhead today (Monday) through Wednesday and temps will warm to the mid 70's today, upper 70's Tuesday and possibly hit the 80°F mark on Wednesday in our more populated valley towns like Franklin, Bryson City, and Dillsboro - Sylva. Overnight lows dip into the low - upper 40's tonight and Tuesday night under clear skies, while Wednesday night features a quick increase in cloud cover after sunset, temps settling into the upper 40's - mid 50's, and isolated showers after midnight. We'll notice an uptick in moisture levels beginning Wednesday morning and dry conditions should prevail today and Tuesday, so please remain vigilant and keep a water source handy if you are doing any outdoor burning.

Thursday features scattered light - moderate showers that will continue throughout the day, peaking sometime around the early afternoon hours and as of today, the WPC is showing a range for rainfall totals anywhere from 0.5" up to 1.25". This will be location dependent with Andrews, Murphy, and Robbinsville picking up the higher amounts, while Waynesville, Cruso and possibly Maggie Valley sit on the dryer end of the spectrum. Temps Thursday will remain comfortable as they push to the upper 50's - low 70's depending upon elevation, which is right around normal for early April. Overnight lows settle into the upper 40's - mid 50's and scattered showers are expected to carry through night, rolling into Friday morning.

Confidence levels for the Friday through Sunday timeframe is quite low and although the forecast will change, we can generally expect moisture levels to remain high, more clouds than sunshine, and a greater than average chance for showers each day. Temps will hold to the upper 50's - low 70's each day and of the three days, Saturday seems to be the driest but this could change. We'll stop here and circle back Wednesday morning with more details for the Friday - Sunday timeframe.