Another breezy Monday

Several songs have been written about Mondays, and today could easily foster another one. In the wake of the weekend's storm system northerly winds will be brisk today, gusting over 20 mph at times as cool dry Canadian air pours into Mecklenburg county. After morning lows near 40 degrees most locales will see afternoon temperatures top out in the low 50s under sunny skies. That's the average high for late January.

Overnight the breezes will lessen and by Tuesday morning local thermometers will drop into the upper 20s. With the Canadian air mass firmly in place tomorrow will be a couple degrees cooler, with highs at or just below 50 degrees. The day will begin sunny but clouds will build in during the afternoon ahead of the next weather-maker. 

An upper level low - a wrinkle in the jet stream -  will develop today up in Canada. Many folks will be familiar with "Alberta Clippers", which originate over that western province and dive southeast. This one will develop over Manitoba, thus it's more appropriately labeled a "Manitoba Mauler". To confuse things even more such disturbances which originate between those two provinces are known as "Saskatchewan Screamers"(!).

All three types are generally moisture-starved, and the one arriving late Tuesday will be the same. It will rapidly dive southeast tomorrow, ushering clouds into Mecklenburg county during the afternoon hours. Showers will arrive tomorrow night and stick around much of Wednesday. Only light amounts of rain are expected, with local gauges registering perhaps a tenth of an inch. There could be a few conversational flakes during the wee hours Wednesday morning, but temperatures will remain too warm for anything more than that.