Warming Up this Week; Thunderstorms Tuesday
Good morning folks! We had several isolated showers pass through the region yesterday and to our surprise, light snow also fell across the TN line above 5800', with a skiff of snow reported in northern Yancy county. We'll enjoy sunny skies today (Saturday) with temps a touch cooler than normal but this will be short lived as southerly flow returns on Sunday, setting the stage for temps to return to normal and continue their climb into next week. High clouds and isolated light showers make up the action on Sunday and Monday, with temps returning to the upper 70's on Monday. Pop up showers and thunderstorms (similar to a summer time setup) will develop Tuesday and Wednesday and then high pressure takes over once again on Thursday, suppressing shower activity that will result in a stretch of warm and sunny weather Thursday into next weekend. For those who have been able to hold off from running the A/C in the home this spring season, this might be the week that breaks that run, especially across the valleys where temps soar to the low - mid 80's by Thur/Fri and overnight lows level out to the mid - upper 50's. We only expect 0.25 - 0.50" of rain over the next seven days, so be sure to carve out some time every other day to keep your early season garden in tip top shape.
Sunshine today will not do much for our afternoon highs, as they struggle to push past the low - mid 50's above 5500' and upper 60's - low 70's across the valleys. A series of disturbances will sweep the region tonight but moisture levels look weak so only mostly cloudy skies are expected, with temps bottoming out to the low - upper 40's.
Sunday and Monday are similar enough to lump together as both days feature high clouds and isolated shower chances after midday, with temps on Sunday warming to the mid - upper 70's, pushing into the upper 70's on Monday. Overnight lows settle into the upper 40's - mid 50's each night, with shower chances fizzling out past the late evening hours.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be our best chance for shower development and as of today it seems Tuesday offers slightly better coverage than Wednesday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop closer to midday on Tuesday and continue into the late afternoon hours, while Wednesday offers up scattered showers and a fading chance for thunderstorm development past midday. It'll be muggy and warm both days, with temps reaching the mid - upper 70's across the lower elevations, while the ridgelines above 5000' push into the upper 50's - low 60's. Overnight lows dip into the low - upper 50's each night under partly - mostly cloudy skies.
Sunshine returns Thursday and should stretch into next weekend, with temps climbing to the low - mid 80's Thursday and Friday. Although we were hoping for a better rain setup, temps in the mid 80's as we approach next weekend looks enticing for those of us wanting to get back out to our favorite swimming holes. We'll circle back on Monday with a new discussion. ENJOY!