Rain robbery! Then sunny and cool through the work week

Rain totals around Mecklenburg County so far this weekend have been waaaay less than the 1.0+ inch originally forecast. This graphic shows the totals (local sites circled in blue) around the region:

Note the higher totals to the south and to the northwest of Mecklenburg County. During cold air damming setups - like the current one - most of the precipitation occurs as light rain or drizzle unless an upper air disturbance provides a trigger for heavier rain. That explains the higher liquid totals shown above, but nothing of the sort happened locally. Thus, a rain robbery!

Up to another tenth of an inch will accumulate in local rain gauges before the spigot completely turns off later today (Sunday). Skies will remain cloudy and temperatures will top out in the mid-60s. By Monday morning a more vigorous autumn cold front will push through the region, beginning to sweep away the moisture and clouds. Tomorrow afternoon will thus turn sunny and pleasant, with thermometers climbing into the mid-70s for daily highs.

The remainder of the work week looks to bring dry and pleasant conditions. Tuesday will be the coolest day with a high temperature topping out only near 70º after mornings lows in the upper 40s. As the week progresses those afternoon thermometer readings will climb to near the 80º mark.

Sunny and hot Friday, then much cooler and wet for the weekend

Autumn is a transition season, when summer's heat and humidity gives way - in fits and starts - to winter's chill. October is a prime example of this. The month begins with average daily highs of 77º and morning lows of 57º. Those values end the month at 68º and 42º, respectively.

The next three days exemplify this transition in Mecklenburg County. Today (Friday) temperatures will soar to the 90 degree mark under sunny skies, with a southwesterly breeze stirring the hot air. Then, after midnight a weak cold front will sag south of the area. Following Saturday morning lows in the mid-60s, tomorrow afternoon local thermometers will struggle to rise to the 70º mark under cloudy skies and with cool northeasterly winds. Sunday's temperature regime looks much the same.

Meanwhile, rain is on the way. That weak front will eventually kick up a few showers after lunch Saturday, but the main event arrives tomorrow night into Sunday. A second and more vigorous cold front approaching from the northwest will squeeze out a fair amount of liquid from leftover tropical moisture remnants. NWS Wakefield is forecasting over an inch of rain for the county by Sunday evening:

 Although the clouds and rain may complicate outdoor weekend plans, the liquid will be welcomed by those who deal with parched ground and drying river and lake levels. Unfortunately, this looks like the only chance of precipitation for at least another week.

Summer-like heat will end the work week ahead of a wet weekend

This Wednesday morning Mecklenburg County thermometers bottomed out in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. That was close enough to the dew point to enable the available water vapor to condense into droplets, creating thick fog in some locales. As that saturated air mixes with drier air later this morning (fog doesn't really "burn off"), sunshine will take over as high pressure takes charge of the local weather. 

The nor'easter has finally weakened and moved northeastward into the Canadian maritimes. Impacts of that powerful storm on the NWS Wakefield region are provided in this link. Meanwhile, the stubborn cloudiness is gone and temperatures will respond to the abundant sunshine. Afternoon highs will climb back into the mid-80s, and humidity levels will be on the increase thanks to southerly winds arriving later today.

At dawn Thursday temperatures will be a few degrees warmer than this morning's readings. Tomorrow will begin to feel like summer again, with afternoon highs in the upper 80s. Combined with somewhat stickier humidity Thursday's weather will be reminiscent of August conditions. Friday will continue that trend with daily highs likely to reach the lower 90s(!).

The weekend, however, looks to be wet and cooler. More on those details in Friday's blogpost, but meanwhile here's the national outlook for rainfall over the next several days:

More "Chamber of Commerce" weather to begin the work week

The center of the powerful nor'easter which has been pounding the Northeast is located just south of Long Island this Monday morning. This visible satellite loop illustrates the size of this monster storm:

As is evident, this system is responsible for the clouds overhead Mecklenburg County this morning. Those clouds look to gradually thin out as the storm continues to move northward today. Locally, skies will turn mostly sunny during the afternoon hours.

After morning minima of 59º from Clarksville to South Hill, temperatures will top out in the upper 70s across the area today. A light westerly breeze will stir the air a bit for another delightful late September day. The sun will set at 7:01 p.m. at the Buggs Island / Kerr Lake dam (the last day of 2026 during which this will occur after 7 o'clock). By that time temperatures will drop to 70º on their way to overnight lows in the lower 60s.

Tuesday will feature a repeat of today's conditions, with afternoon highs maxing out near the 80º mark. Fewer clouds will mar tomorrow's blue skies as the nor'easter pulls away, and calm winds will prevail. Starting Wednesday, the rest of the week looks even warmer so those air conditioners may get more of a workout.

A near miss nor'easter, and warmer conditions ahead

The powerful nor'easter battering the DC/Baltimore area and points north of there is jogging west toward a New Jersey landfall as this is written. The counter-clockwise air flow around the center is dragging some remnant moisture southward, which is the source of the clouds over eastern Mecklenburg County this Sunday morning. Those northerly winds will gust up to 15 mph this afternoon, but most of today the breezes will be gentler as temperatures top out in the upper 70s under mostly sunny skies.

The upcoming work week weather also looks to bring mostly sunny skies as high pressure sprawls across the eastern half of the nation. Afternoon high temperatures will start the week in the upper 70s before climbing back into the 80s by midweek. Morning lows will still dip into the upper 50s and low 60s, representative of lower dew points and thus less humidity than the summer stickiness.

Unfortunately, given the continued drought, no precipitation is in the forecast until possibly next weekend. Typically the autumn months hold a chance of receiving rain locally from the remnants of tropical systems pushing ashore, but the increasingly strong El Nino has clamped a lid on Atlantic systems. The opposite is true for the eastern Pacific basin, with that hurricane season being supercharged by the El Nino weather pattern. Here's a current look at the contrasts:

Hopefully as the autumn progresses the rains will return and recharge the rivers, lakes, and soil moisture. At the moment, however, the drought is still entrenched across the region.

Awesome autumn weather for the weekend despite a developing nor'easter

A lot of media attention has focused on a developing storm east of the Atlantic coastline. Looking to the east this morning, the cloud line is associated with that storm. Effects of this nor'easter on local weather will amount to winds gusting up to 20 mph today - Friday - but no rain. Mecklenburg County skies will remain generally sunny, but some clouds may poke westward over the next few days.

This graphic shows Friday morning low temperatures across the region:

Temperatures were at or near the 50º mark locally this morning, several degrees below the average for this date. Note the green shading across the Tidewater area. That's associated with a coastal flood warning. The northeast winds from the storm are pushing ocean water westward, inundating some of the low-lying land areas.

Thermometer readings will remain below late September averages (lows in the upper 50s, highs near 80º) throughout the weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday look to be "Chamber of Commerce" days, with mostly sunny skies and afternoon highs in the mid-70s. Northerly breezes will calm down as that storm slowly moves northward, leaving behind just enough wind to gently stir the air.

Enjoy!

An overview of the week to come

At 8:05 p.m. Tuesday astronomical autumn will officially begin. And after today's (Sunday's) highs in the upper 80s the weather conditions will start to match the calendar. 

Today will feature mostly sunny skies, but an approaching storm system and its associated cold front will foster scattered showers late this afternoon. That cold front looks to take its sweet time edging through Mecklenburg County, such that Monday will still be warm and sticky with highs in the mid-80s. There could be some strong to severe storms late tomorrow afternoon into the evening hours as a result of that boundary's passage.

After that, conditions during the rest of the work week will reflect the arrival of a cold air damming wedge. High pressure crossing the New England states will force cool moist air southward across the Piedmont, bringing showers, cloudy skies, and much cooler air for most of the week. Daily high temperatures will sag into the upper 70s Tuesday before dropping all the way to near 70º(!) by Wednesday.

Meanwhile, repeated rounds of rain could total up to several inches across Virginia through Friday morning as shown in this forecast graphic:

 Brace for a change to fall weather!