Midweek warmth just in time for the official arrival of spring

Very dry air and clear skies combined to "let the heat out" overnight. Thus this (Wednesday) morning's low temperatures dropped into the upper 30s around Mecklenburg County. Mostly sunny conditions and light winds will allow Sol - our sun - to boost temperatures to the upper 70s this afternoon. That warmth heralds the arrival of the spring equinox at 5:01 a.m. Thursday.

The equinox is when the Earth's 23.5º tilt coupled with our planet's orbital path results in Sol's rays coming in directly overhead at the equator. The March equinox is when we in the Northern Hemisphere mark the arrival of astronomical spring, while Southern Hemisphere residents wave goodbye to summer and welcome in astronomical autumn.

Thus tomorrow is the first day of our spring, and it will bring another brief transition to cooler conditions. A cold front approaching from the west will usher in clouds and showers after the one o'clock hour. Nothing severe is expected since the air looks to be too dry for strong thunderstorms. Temperatures Thursday will top out near 70º along with southerly winds gusting over 20 mph ahead of the boundary.

Showers will continue off and on through sunset tomorrow, with local rain gauges collecting between a quarter- and a half-inch of liquid. Winds behind the boundary will swap around out of the west, opening the door for cooler air to enter the region. Friday then looks to be sunny, with high temperatures near the 60 degree mark accompanied by a gusty westerly breeze.