KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The winter blast that east Tennesseans endured over the past weekend will slowly be replaced with more spring-like weather this week. High pressure is building in, which offers protection from unsettled weather, at least for a few days. Sunshine will be more abundant too and allow afternoon temps to slowly climb back into the 60s. Morning lows will also rebound, however, not as fast.
As the sun rises Monday morning at about a quarter after seven, temps will be in the low to middle 20s. Because the air is so dry, temps can still be chilly in the morning, especially under a clear sky. The heat that is absorbed in the ground from the sun during the day will escape into the starlit sky, which usually drops the air temp to its lowest point right before sunrise. This is typically referred to as radiational cooling.
Although it may be necessary to sport a coat out the door early Monday, by afternoon wearing a coat may become too warm because temps will climb back close to our normal average high of 54°.
By hump day, unsettled weather will be knocking at the door once again due to an advancing weather system advancing from the west at that time. Clouds will be increasing Thursday and eventually spread scattered showers across the area late Thursday through early Friday. Right now, less than 1/2" is expected before sunshine starts to return late Friday.
Thereafter, temps will fall back down closer to our typical highs and lows Friday into the weekend. Subsequently, temps may remain above normal through the end of the month according to the Climate Prediction Center's eight to fourteen-day temperature outlook.
Thus, although it is still officially winter, more warm days than cold days may be ahead, at least as March begins. Thereafter, who knows? A lot can happen at the beginning of March and right before Spring officially begins on the 19th at 11:06 PM EST. Unless the groundhog was actually right this year! Have a terrific week!
