Abundant sunshine and cooler air for the midweek

Today - Wednesday - will feature temperatures very near average at this point in October, with afternoon highs in the low 70s and overnight lows in the upper 40s. That type of diurnal temperature range occurs when dry air is in place. The dryness will be reinforced later today by the passage of yet another cold front across Mecklenburg County.

Behind that next boundary a chilly Canadian air mass will invade the region. Thursday will thus be cooler than October averages, with temperatures topping out only in the mid-60s. After tomorrow's sunset at 6:36 p.m. local thermometers will nose dive, dropping into the upper 30s(!) by dawn Friday at many locales. Accompanied by light winds those temperatures will come close to the conditions for frost, so sensitive vegetation may be affected.

Following another cool day Friday the weekend then looks to be somewhat warmer. Folks taking advantage of the Buggs Island / Kerr Lake recreation opportunities may be interested in this graphic:

The solid blue line is the actual lake level, with the dotted blue line the forecast through the end of the year. The light blue line shows the 2024 data, and the green line is the Army Corps of Engineers target guideline for water levels. So far the drought warning level (orange line) hasn't been reached.

Happy Hump Day!