Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Autumn arrives ... at its worst

You know those beautiful crisp autumn days, when the color of the leaves contrasts against the clear blue sky?

Well, forget about it for a while.

We're facing two days of autumn at its worst, courtesy of a Carolinas specialty -- cold air damming.

And when that event ends, it'll be replaced by an invasion of the coldest air we've experienced since last spring.

After weeks in which it seemed as if daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s would stay with us forever, some really chilly air is filtering into the Carolinas. Highs today will reach the 60s, thanks to sunshine.

But low pressure will form in the Gulf of Mexico later today and then move up the East Coast later Wednesday and Thursday. At the same time, high pressure over the Northeast will send a flow of chilly air into the Carolinas.

Cold air, being heavy, sinks. This cold air will pile up against the mountains, and clouds will form. High temperatures Wednesday and Thursday won't escape the 50s, and there'll be a chilly northeast breeze to make things worse. This situation is called cold air damming, because the cold air is dammed up against the mountains.

In such an event, sunshine and temperatures 10 to 15 degrees warmer often can be found on the western side of the mountains.

The low pressure system moving up the Carolinas coast won't be strong enough to produce much rain, and the Charlotte area won't get much more than 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch, mostly from noon Thursday to early Friday. But with the gloomy skies, it'll be rather ugly around here for a few days.

On Friday, a cold front will wash out the chilly, damp air. But it also will bring winter-like temperatures, with Saturday's highs only reaching the low to mid 50s. Morning lows Saturday probably will be around freezing, and that will put an end to the growing season for much of the area.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bring...it...ON!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Autumn at its worst? Come on.

Boo hoo hoo. You weather gurus aren't happy unless you're griping about something, are you? Or trying to spoil someone else's enjoyment of the season, no matter what it brings.

Nine months from now, you'll be whining about how hot and humid it is.

Get a life. Enjoy each day for the gift that it is.

Anonymous said...

Fall at it's worst??? I would call this just what it is....FALL as it should be.

Anonymous said...

12:37... dang, who peed in your Corn Flakes this morning? I think you need to stop taking yourself so seriously. Go find a puppy or kitten to pet, it might help.

Anonymous said...

Call Al Gore to save us.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait for the change, hope don't see 90+ degrees ever again....but we all know more of those will be coming along sooner than we would like.

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Why does he consider this a bad thing? Cold weather is great. I want snow!

Anonymous said...

Wait until tomorrow and you people will see what the author is talking about. It will be in the 30's and raining in the morning and barely into the 50's in the afternoon. That IS Autumn at its worst. Cold rain is a gift, but it isn't a gift from above.

Anonymous said...

Response to November 2, 2010@12:37 PM:

Why don't you go wipe? Slob.

Anonymous said...

Fall as it Should be....no big deal.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Response to November 2, 2010@12:37 PM:
Why don't you go wipe? Slob.
November 2, 2010 2:57 PM


You sound like such a buttwipe, why don't you do it for me? You could probably use the practice.

Waldsterben said...

Anon:"It will be in the 30's and raining in the morning and barely into the 50's in the afternoon. That IS Autumn at its worst."

While I prefer clear skies and low humidity because it is better for the health, metabolism, and speed of thinking, we need more regular rainfall here in the NC Piedmont. This region is becoming ever-more desertified year by year...all of the local rivers are very low, the creeks are running dry, and the water in the reservoirs is becoming stagnant. At the same time - with the huge growth in population in the last decade or two - the local water sources are being pumped even more extensively to provide water for the newcomers. Without regular rainfall groundwater levels in the region will also become depleted beyond their capacity to recover for centuries for even thousands of years (paving over everything in sight doesn't help with recharging groundwater either since it all runs off in to storm drains instead of sinking in to the ground as it should).

Few people know that Charlotte is on the same latitude as North Africa (35 degrees North latitude) and thus similarly places as the northern edge of the Sahara Desert -- thus we are particularly prone to desertification here assuming other factors contribute.

rjruns said...

I'll enjoy the colder weather as long as I am more prepared for it this year and have proper warmer clothes to wear! Bring it!

Anonymous said...

"It will be in the 30's and raining in the morning and barely into the 50's in the afternoon."

Close. Not. No 30's and barely a sprinkle all day. Put on a heavier dress, Nancy.

Anonymous said...

50's and overcast...now THAT's Fall, just like in the movie "Sleepy Hollow". We've had MORE than enough sunny days this year, I think the Sun can give it a rest for a while. Right now it's 51 and raining (a bit too warm at 7 a.m. if you ask me) and I'm enjoying it. Like I said in the first post, Bring...It...ON!!!

Anonymous said...

btw, if this is too raw or cold for you, by all means move to sweaty, I mean, sunny south Florida, where you will soon tire of the non-stop relentless heat and humidity.

Anonymous said...

1:03 - I think the dog pee'd in your coffee.

12:37 is right. The weather is a gift from God. How we humans deal with the weather is our gift to God.

The bad and good weather is needed for the nourishment of God's Earth.