Happy Friday, everybody!
I sure hope you have a great day. It’s going to be a beautiful one and an even better weekend ahead, with some filtered sunshine thanks to our next weather maker that’s moving its way out of the Rockies. That same system will bring heavy rain to areas west of the Mississippi River this weekend — and eventually, much-needed rain right here in East Tennessee next week.
We’re starting the morning off chilly once again, with a little bit of frost showing up across Upper East Tennessee. Temperatures are in the 30s and low 40s, but it’s going to warm up beautifully. This afternoon, highs will reach the low to mid-60s north of Interstate 40 and mid to upper 60s south of I-40 — about where we were yesterday.
If you’re heading out to high school football tonight, plan on bundling up. By 6:00, temperatures will be around 62 degrees. Kickoff temps will fall into the upper 50s, and by the end of the game, we’ll be down near the low 50s. It’ll be a classic fall night under the lights, so grab those jackets and sweatshirts.
Rain chances will stay low through Saturday, but by late Sunday, we’ll start to see the first round of showers move in. I’ve got a 20% chance Sunday afternoon, increasing overnight as rain becomes more widespread. Heavier rain will move in Sunday night into Monday, and that wet weather pattern will stick with us for much of next week.
Here’s what’s happening: a wave of energy is rolling out of the Rockies and producing widespread rain across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma — with localized flooding possible in those areas. That same low pressure system will strengthen and slide eastward through next week, bringing us several rounds of rain from Monday through Thursday.
By the end of next week — around Halloween — we could be looking at 1 to 2 inches of total rainfall across parts of East Tennessee before drier air settles in on Friday. Temperatures will stay near average through Sunday, then turn cooler by Thursday and Friday behind that front.
For the weekend, it’s all about beautiful, dry weather. Saturday’s looking perfect for outdoor plans, tailgates, and trips to the pumpkin patch. Speaking of football — Tennessee heads to Kentucky this weekend, and kickoff temperatures will be in the mid-50s under mostly sunny skies. It’s going to be a chilly but great football day.
Looking ahead to Halloween, we’re still expecting a cool evening for trick-or-treaters, with temperatures likely in the 40s during the evening hours — a little chilly, but perfect for fall.
Enjoy the sunshine today and through the weekend, because next week looks a lot wetter.
If you ever want a quick one-minute weather update, check out Witcher’s One Minute Weather — available online at eastTNweather.com, on YouTube, or right in the East Tennessee Weather app. Just head to your app store and search “East Tennessee Weather.”
