Friday, September 24, 2010

A welcome change in the air

After much delay (and frequent whining and complaining by Mid-Southerners), it appears that summer weather may finally come to an end later today with the passage of our first autumn cold front. It will be a welcome change after yet another stretch of record high temperatures this week. In fact, the high temperature of 100 on Monday was the latest 100-degree reading in Memphis in recorded history (dating to 1850)!

The cold front will move through the Memphis area this afternoon with little initial fanfare. There could be a few showers along the front, but mainly an increase in clouds and a shift in the wind to the west, then north tonight. By Saturday, humidity will be falling and a steady northeast wind will make it feel much more pleasant, with a high in the mid 80s expected.

By Sunday, another sign of fall - a strong upper-level low pressure center that moves into the region - will appear. This low will cause an increase in cloud cover once again, which will help hold down temperatures to near 80 Sunday afternoon. A few showers will be possible Sunday afternoon and night as well. Computer models are still not completely agreeing on the exact track of the low, but it appears that Monday will still see the Mid-South under it's influence, so I'm forecasting more clouds than sun and a continued chance of rain. Temperatures will remain cool on Monday with highs in the 70s, likely the lower 70s.

As the low pulls away by Tuesday, sunshine returns and fair autumn weather takes hold with highs moderating to near normal by mid-week (lower to mid 80s) and lows in the 50s! For complete forecast details, check out the MWN Forecast.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Late season heat wave sets more records

If you thought the record-breaking was a thing of the past, Mother Nature has something else in store! As discussed late last week, another heat wave has enveloped the Mid-South. The fortunate difference between this one and most of this summer is the much lower humidity values this time around. It's a "dry heat!" The lower humidity means a couple of things: 1) heat indices are not really a factor - 100 feels like 100 and not 115, and 2) the temperature drops more quickly in the evenings than in August and early morning temps have actually been fairly pleasant, falling into the 60s regularly and even some 50s over the past weekend.

Memphis International Airport has now broken 3 consecutive high temperature records and looks to be on track for 3-4 more as highs remain in the upper 90s through Thursday and mid 90s on Friday. In fact, yesterday's (Monday's) record of 100 degrees is also the latest Memphis has ever reached 100 degrees, in RECORDED HISTORY (1850) by 4 days! The previous record was 102 set on September 16, 1980. Yesterday's latest 100-degree reading may only stand for one day though, as it's possible we could see 100 again today. (See all records for September)

Fortunately, there is relief in sight as a heat-busting cold front moves through on Friday night/Saturday. While the front won't produce enough rain to help much with drought conditions across the metro area, we will return to "near normal" temperatures starting Saturday with highs back in the 80s. I don't suspect we'll see many mid 90s temperatures again in 2010 after Friday, leaving a summer for the record books in the rear-view mirror. Good riddance!

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