After a couple of showers Friday Night, a cold front will leave brisk conditions for the weekend.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight: High clouds will slowly thicken through the day as a strong cold front approaches from the west. Still, expect some sun and a high temperature near 80 degrees. As that cold front arrives during the evening hours, a gusty shower may occur during high school football games. The cold front will cross overnight sending lows into the low 50s as winds shift northwest.  

Up Next: On Saturday, brisk northerly winds of 10-15mph will be transporting chilly air into the region. Despite sunshine, highs likely won’t get beyond the low 60s. Football fans can expect a blustery feel in the stadiums, especially Southern with a later kickoff. Don’t be surprised by a wind chill in the mid 40s by the end of that game! It would be a good idea to take extra layers to both contests. Temperatures will continue dropping, bottoming out in the upper 30s Sunday Morning! Afternoon highs will be struggling to leave the 50s. Expect another cold start to Monday before temperatures rebound to average.

The Tropics: A broad area of low pressure producing showers and thunderstorms in the Western Caribbean Sea may become a tropical depression in the coming days. The National Hurricane Center gives this low a 60 percent chance of further development. However, the system poses no threat to the United States.

THE SCIENCE:

Surface high pressure positioned in the Southeast United States will maintain a southeast wind flow through Friday. Meanwhile a strong storm system in the Upper Midwest and an associated cold front stretching from Iowa to Texas will slide east over the next two days. As this cold front approaches the Central Gulf Coast, moisture supply will remain low. Traditional cirrus deck with a mid-latitude cyclone can be expected to thicken through the day but in the lower levels not much is there. In fact, only a thin band of showers along the front may or may not hold together as it crosses the area Friday Night. Models have been speedy with the frontal passage meaning that a shower could sneak into the region as early as high school football time. Rain chances will rapidly diminish from west to east after midnight with the cold front through by Saturday Morning. A strong surface high pressure building in behind the front will tighten the surface pressure gradient, increasing wind speeds. The clockwise flow around that high will result in northerly winds of 10-15mph and this will mean cold air advection will be underway. By Saturday Afternoon, with temperatures falling out of the 60s and into the 50s, depending on how long the brisk winds are maintained, a considerable wind chill is possible. Sunday Morning, thermometers will reach their lowest reading since Late March. High pressure will stay overhead on Sunday keeping skies clear with temperatures rebounding into the mid 60s. Clear skies at night and lighter winds will allow an even colder start to Monday with lows in the mid 30s. Typical cool spots north of I-12 can’t rule out freezing. As the surface high slides east through early next week, moderating temperatures can be expected. Another cold front will cross the area around Thanksgiving.      

--Josh

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