As mentioned in Monday's post yesterday's (Tuesday's) temperatures wound up a bit cooler than the forecast 80s. Highs recorded around Mecklenburg county were 75 at both South Hill and Clarksville, with Chase City registering 76 and Boydton 77 degrees for their respective maxima. Today - Wednesday - folks anticipating forecast highs in the low 80s will likely be disappointed again.
This disparity in the forecast vs. actual temperatures is due to cold air damming, which almost always sticks around longer than anticipated. An old stationary front still draped across North Carolina is the culprit, keeping a shallow cool air wedge over the Piedmont dammed up against the mountains to the west. This diagram from the National Weather Service office in Sterling Virginia illustrates the setup:
Mostly cloudy conditions will stick around much of today, helping to keep afternoon temperatures from reaching the 80 degree mark. Thermometers around the county will again top out in the mid- to upper 70s, accompanied by a mild southwesterly breeze. There is also the potential for a few showers by lunchtime, but rain amounts will be very light as the air is still pretty dry.
Thursday then looks like the 80s will finally make an appearance in Mecklenburg. The first of two approaching cold fronts will push through and scour out that shallow cool air wedge. However, the air mass behind this next boundary isn't really cold. Tomorrow will feel more like June than April, with a westerly wind at 5-10 mph keeping the air moving.
The end of the work week will then feature afternoon showers and possibly evening thunderstorms as the second cold front crosses the area. Afternoon highs on Friday will again reach the low 80s ahead of the precipitation. The weekend then looks like a house divided, with Saturday being dry and sunny while Sunday could bring rain along with much cooler temperatures.
More weekend details to follow in Friday's blogpost.
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