Mild start to the week will lead to a wet Thanksgiving Day

The strong gusts stirring the dust around Mecklenburg county finally calmed late Saturday afternoon. Today - Sunday - began with temperatures in the mid-30s under clear skies. Local thermometers look to climb into the low 60s this afternoon accompanied by lighter southwesterly breezes. Those outdoor chores delayed by the raucous winds of late last week will be much more feasible today.

The shortened Thanksgiving work week will begin with another mild day. Monday's temperatures will range from the mid-30s at dawn to the upper 60s for afternoon highs under mostly sunny skies. Clouds will then roll in overhead by sunset (at 5:00 p.m.) tomorrow ahead of the next cold front. This boundary won't bring much moisture with it, so rainfall Monday night into Tuesday morning will be scanty.

That will change, however, on Thanksgiving Day. Wednesday will be dry and a bit cooler, but Thursday looks very wet for those family get-togethers thanks to a vigorous low pressure system. This Weather Prediction Center Hazard Outlook indicates that heavy rain potential for southern Virginia:

Following that weather system folks can expect more windy and cooler conditions. This 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows the temperature drop off expected for the beginning of December.

The 8-14 day outlook doesn't look much warmer, either. Could this be the harbinger of a cooler winter? Stay tuned...