Warming Trend; Low 70's Friday?!?
Good morning folks! We have one more chilly day today and then the temperature begins to increase, with temps running 8 - 12 degrees above normal by the end of the week. Rain chances over the next seven days look minimal with one round Friday night and perhaps Sunday night, but both of these opportunities are not set in stone and wouldn't amount to much anyway (0.05 - 0.15"). The pattern begins to shift next week with a healthy front showing up on the models late next week that could bring us much needed rainfall. Snow chances also remain near zero this week and most of next week, however temperatures could dip to snowmaking levels this upcoming weekend. For those who love fair weather, this is your week as mostly sunny skies dominate the forecast today (Monday) through Friday, picking back up with more sunshine late Saturday and most of the day Sunday.
We kickoff the timeline today with temps a touch below normal as they reach the upper 40's - low 50's in the valleys and upper 30's above 4500', but the NW winds this morning through the mid afternoon hours will make it feel much colder. Sunny skies segway into clear skies tonight and temps bottom out to the mid 20's- low 30's depending upon elevation, alongside wind speeds dropping to a light breeze.
Tuesday through Thursday looks gorgeous with sunny skies overhead and temps warming from the mid 40's - upper 50's Tuesday to the low 50's - mid 60's by Thursday afternoon. Overnight lows will settle into the low - upper 30's each night, depending upon elevation, all under clear skies.
Friday will be a few degrees warmer than Thursday, possibly touching the low 70's in Andrews, Bryson City, Franklin, and Dillsboro/Sylva. A very weak disturbance "could" bring a round of light showers across the region, but for now we are going with partly cloudy skies and overnight lows in the upper 30's - low 40's.
Keep your outdoor plans this weekend but keep in mind temps will go from the low 60's Saturday (across the valley floor), leveling out to the low - mid 50's Sunday. Sunshine will help offset some of this but normal temps for the valley floor in early December is low - mid 50's, so Sunday will be closer to normal than Saturday. Overnight lows dip into the upper 20's - mid 30's depending upon elevation Saturday night.
We'll stop here and hope that by Wednesday around noon we will have a better handle on the two rain chances Friday and Sunday nights, as both events could evaporate on the modeling just as fast as they appeared. ENJOY!