Monday, March 8, 2010

Monday PM forecast discussion: rain in the cards

What a pleasant weekend and fabulous start to the work week! After highs in the 60s Saturday and Sunday, we finally put an end to the sub-70 degree weather steak we were working on with today's high of 74 (as of 3pm). The Memphis airport ended up with 112 straight days of highs below 70 (which started way back on Nov. 16, 2009), which ranks 7th all-time and the longest streak in 79 years! Certainly a streak I was ready to see go by the wayside!

Short-term forecast
The rest of the week will be unsettled at best, with rain chances each forecast period through perhaps Saturday. However, don't expect continuous rain the whole week. The first shot at precipitation in the form of showers comes late tonight as moisture surges ahead of low pressure over the plains and a weak front moves into the region Tuesday. Most rain will fall between midnight tonight and noon Tuesday. Wind will also pick up and become gusty Tuesday. With plenty of cloud cover, it will be mild tonight and Tuesday, but not as warm tomorrow as today's mid 70s by any stretch.

Mid-week forecast
We'll see just low rain chances Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon with continued mild conditions. In fact, with a little break between systems Wednesday, Mid-Southerners could once again see temps break into the 70s with a little PM sun and warm southerly wind. This comes ahead of the next frontal system that moves in Wednesday night and early Thursday when the next round of rain appears on the radar. Some thunder is certainly possible, though severe storms would be few and far between it appears right now.

Extended range forecast
Behind this system, low pressure moves very slowly by to our north in the Thursday-Friday-Saturday time frame, meaning cooler weather, plenty of cloud cover, and low shower chances into the latter part of the week and early this weekend. I'm forecasting a little more sun Sunday and Monday, though it remains cool.

For the complete forecast from MemphisWeather.net, click here.

For those traveling to Tulsa to watch the University of Memphis play in the C-USA men's basketball tourney later this week at the BOK Center, look for a chance of showers each day and highs in the mid 50s, lows in the upper 30s. Details from the NWS can be found here.

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