Saturday, September 25, 2010

2 to 5 inches of rain? Really?

After weeks of hot, dry weather, it seems almost impossible to be talking about possible flooding concerns, but that's the situation this weekend in the western Carolinas.

Our stagnant weather pattern is not just coming to an end ... it's coming to a crashing halt.

Get ready for a very rainy Sunday, with much cooler weather.

Today will be the end of the summerlike conditions, with partly sunny skies and temperatures approaching 90 degrees this afternoon. It could be our 87th day of 90 degrees or warmer this year -- one short of tying the all-time record, set in 1954.

But the makings of a new pattern are approaching. A cold front is over eastern Tennessee on Saturday morning, and it is predicted to move into the Carolinas later tonight and stall for 24 to 36 hours.

At the same time, low pressure is forming over the Midwest and expected to move into Mississippi before drifting east or northeast on Sunday and Monday.

We could get a thunderstorm this afternoon or evening as the cold front approaches, but more widespread showers and storms are likely tonight, as the low pressure system sinks into the South.

On Sunday, temperatures will hold in the upper 60s and lower 70s. Meanwhile, the low pressure system will spread rain into our area -- not a here-and-there scattered shower situation, but more of a steadier rain. Best guess is that the rain will begin late Sunday morning. By later Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening, the rain could get heavy.

It could be a miserable day at Bank of America Stadium, for the Panthers-Bengals game ... from a weather standpoint. It could be miserable from a football standpoint, too, but that's another issue.

Justin Lane, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., says 3 to 5 inches of rain is likely in the higher elevations of the foothills and in the Blue Ridge mountains, with 2 to 4 inches in the Piedmont.

"Current forecasts suggest that the rain will fall over a long enough period of time that widespread flooding is not likely, especially given the recent dry conditions," Lane said. However, Lane added, localized areas could have flooding problems, but it's too early to tell where that might happen.

Expect the rain to continue into Monday, with a few thunderstorms added in the mix on Monday. The precipitation probably will end Monday night or Tuesday morning.

By that time, all of our lawns should be soaked enough for us to get the aerating and seeding started.

Once the rain is gone, don't look for a return to the 90s. Forecast highs next week are in the vicinity of 80 degrees, which is still a degree or two above average for this time of year.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank God. I am so sick of this heat. I teach in a High School and the kids start the day 30 degrees cooler than they end it.

Anonymous said...

To Anon: Its only going to get worse as the years go by.

To the weather man: Do you believe that the weather we have been experiencing is due to La Nina?

Anonymous said...

Ever notice how all the flat earth, tin foil hat wearing, global warming hoax types never have anything to say when it's 96 degrees in September?

Anonymous said...

Steve: I really like this blog! As a serious gardener and just interested in weather in general...thanks for sharing the information.

Anonymous said...

Those flat earth, "global warming is a hoax" dorks are all repub teabags with an IQ of 40, and dumber than a sack of hammers.

Anonymous said...

If there was global warming, then why haven't we broken the record that was set in 1954?

I expect a serious response and not just bashing me like a uneducated child. Or is that too much to ask?

Anonymous said...

Global warming is a hoax. Why do you think that the White House recently changed the name ?? Why were temps in the Middle Ages warmer than now? Keep drinking the Kool-aid and believe whatever the leftist elites feed you.

Anonymous said...

Oh geez...come on guys. Let's just be thankful the heat and dry conditions are coming to an end. Whether you believe in global warming or not, hopefully we're all doing our part to conserve. Very nice blog Steve. Bring on the rain!

Larry said...

Good to see people are not using this as a site to pander their limited political ideologies.

How pathetic would your life have to be to have to drag that mess into a blog about the weather. Yes it is wonderful we have fine upstanding citizens who are interested in helping move the IQ of others along.

Anonymous said...

You people really need to get a life!

Anonymous said...

Global Warming has never been proven nor disproved by any scientist. The facts are that since 1979, the Antarctica Ice Pack has grown while the Artic Ice Pack has shrunk. Over the past few years the Artic Ice Pack has began to grow again from a low in 2007. Lets see what happens. This is a very interesting debate.

Anonymous said...

global warming nut bags....

are they all the same...the obama voters and folks who look past gores yachts and ten million dollar mansion that sucks up more energy than all of Union county in a February deep freeze?

Anonymous said...

Off this coming week for the first time since June...LOL it rains everytime I take vacation. Co-workers have been begging me to take off, it's been this way for years....so you're welcome everybody

Unknown said...

I think the heat has broiled a lot of brains out there. Maybe the testiness will subside as the thermometer drops. We have enough nastiness in the world without all this willful ignorance. Thank you, Steve, for your thorough and helpful reporting.
Pat

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the weather report...

Liberals on Koolaid ....are like insects....always nipping..twisting...and spinning...trying to survive their short lived run in life...

Anonymous said...

Could be a coincidence, but 1954, when Charlotte set the record for the number of days of 90 and above, is similar to 2010 in this respect: Both years marked the start of an extreme La Nina event in the Tropical Pacific, according to this article:

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/extreme-la-nina