Temperatures this weekend averaged ten degrees above normal, with a high of 75 degrees on Saturday, and 77 on Sunday. As late as Saturday morning, predicted highs were only in the upper 60s. So, what happened?

A new round of Arctic air sits behind a frontal system that began descending from the upper midwest early Saturday. Meanwhile a high pressure system was centered over the Gulf of Mexico, sending warm air northward through Alabama and Georgia. The northern front was expected to approach our area on Saturday, bringing in clouds, and keeping the temperature around normal.

Instead, the front moved more slowly than expected, stalling out over Tennessee by late Sunday, and allowing the warm sunny weather to heat us up. You can see the cooling effects of the front; In northern Tennessee, it’s 55, while in Chattanooga, it’s 70. Further west, the temperature difference is more stark: yesterday in Denver, it was 57 degrees, while today, it’s 29.

By late tonight, the front should move southward, giving us a chance of rain, and a slight chance of thunder overnight. Things dry out a bit until Tuesday into Wednesday, when we get some more rain, with another chance Friday night. The cloudy, rainy weather keeps us slightly cooler than normal this week, with highs in the upper 50s.

Temperatures return to normal next weekend, which should be dry, and stay in the mid 60s the week of the 21st. There’s a chance of rain at the beginning and the end of the period.

The latest long range outlooks indicate normal temperatures and greater than normal precipitation for the next two weeks.

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Posted on Sunday, March 13th, 2005 at 4:35 pm
Categories: Short Term Forecasts.

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