Monday, April 30, 2018

An early taste of summer! Also monitoring rain chances for #BSMF18

Mother Nature has outdone herself to finish up the month of April and begin May. Summer-like temps will be the main story line for this week with dry conditions expected through Thursday.

Today & Tomorrow

Currently, a surface high pressure system sits in Kentucky driving our clear weather and keeping all rain chances away.

12Z Surface Analysis displays a high pressure located over parts of the Ohio River Valley. This high pressure is driving our current weather pattern and aiding in the clear skies we will see today. (NOAA/WPC)
Highs today look to reach near average with temps expected to reach the 77° mark. With clear skies all day today continuing into the overnight hours, lows will fall to 57° tonight. Luckily, another rapid warm-up is expected for tomorrow. Mostly sunny skies will allow temps to reach into the 80s with a high of 82° for tomorrow.



Wednesday & Thursday

For those who have been patiently waiting for above average temps to return, they will finally be here Wednesday and Thursday. Ample amounts of low-level warm air advection will help to bring our temps to the above average point. Both days will be characterized by highs in the mid 80s and partly sunny skies. 



Dew point temps look to be in the low 60s both days, so you may get some of that sticky feeling if you are outside for long periods of time. Additionally, we may need to keep an eye on the winds both days as winds may come close to the 15 mph mark with gusts upwards of 25 mph. Overnight lows both nights will stay pretty warm with temps in the upper 60s. 

Looking Ahead to the Weekend

It's the first official weekend of May and it will be a very summer-like preview. Many events are ongoing this weekend including Memphis in May's Beale Street Music Festival. Whether you're planning to head down to Tom Lee Park or enjoying the weekend another way, temps will be around to just above average throughout the weekend. 


So what exactly is in-store for our Friday through Sunday period? Friday and early Saturday both have the possibility of some rain while Sunday appears to be rain-free. On Friday, temps look to reach into the low 80s. The semi-bad news for Friday is that there is the possibility of some scattered showers and thunderstorms associated with a weakening cold front moving through the area. The cold front may provide enough lift for some thunderstorm development; however, severe weather does not appear to be a concern at this point. Temps will remain fairly mild Friday night with overnight lows only dipping into the mid 60s. 

Some of Friday's showers may continue into the morning hours on Saturday.

GFS forecast precipitation loop from early Friday morning through midday on Saturday. (Tropical Tidbits)
Once the showers dissipate, Saturday afternoon lingering cloud coverage will leave us with mostly cloudy skies through the remainder of the day. Luckily, highs will stay in the upper 70s, so plenty of warmth for those with outdoor plans. 

Sunday appears to be the best day for this upcoming weekend. A surface high pressure looks to dominate much of the eastern U.S., keeping any rain chances out of our area. Along with our mostly sunny skies for the day, it will actually be pretty comfortable temperature wise as well. Highs in the upper 70s with dew point temperatures in the mid 50s will result in some nice, non-sticky weather for Sunday. 


Editor's Note: Similar to recent years, MWN will be on-site as the official weather partner for BSMF this weekend, doing our best to ward away the storms and keeping you and tens of thousands of your closest friends safe and comfortable! Keep up with the latest forecast information via the MWN mobile app leading up to, and during, the weekend events. Link to download is below. /EP

Caroline MacDonald
MWN Meteorologist Intern

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