Hi everyone, I’m meteorologist Mike Witcher.
Thanks for checking in with your big-picture weather story for this Monday. I sure hope you had a great weekend. Saturday brought storms across East Tennessee, while Sunday turned out absolutely beautiful with sunshine and highs in the low to mid-80s across Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities.
Now let’s look ahead to this week. The big story: the tropics stay active, but no major impacts are expected here in East Tennessee. Instead, high pressure will take control, setting up a gorgeous end to September and a perfect start to October.
Topical Update
We’re still watching two systems in the Atlantic: Hurricane Ombberto and Tropical Storm Alda. Ombberto remains a powerful hurricane, tracking north and eventually bending back out into the open Atlantic. Alda is currently near the Bahamas with winds around 45 mph, gusting to 60 mph.
Here’s what’s important: the strong circulation from Ombberto will help tug Alda away from the U.S. mainland. The latest track from the National Hurricane Center shows Alda curving sharply to the right and staying offshore. At times it could strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane, but the bottom line is no direct landfall threat for the Southeast U.S.
This means the heaviest rainfall will remain offshore. What was once a concern for several inches of rain across the Carolinas is no longer in play. Fall break travelers heading to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, or the Outer Banks should find improved weather compared to last week’s outlook.
Local Impacts in East Tennessee
Here at home, high pressure to our north is the dominant player this week. That’s going to block any tropical moisture from creeping inland and will also funnel in cooler, drier Canadian air by midweek.
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Today & Tuesday: Mostly sunny with highs in the low 80s. A 20% chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm Tuesday afternoon, mainly over the Smoky Mountains or higher terrain.
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Midweek: High pressure strengthens, bringing clear skies, lower humidity, and cooler mornings. Highs settle back into the upper 70s by Thursday and Friday, with lows dipping into the 50s.
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Weekend Outlook: Dry and seasonable. A fantastic start to October with plenty of sunshine.
The Climate Outlook
While this week trends cooler and drier, it may not last long. The Climate Prediction Center continues to highlight above-average temperatures into the first week or two of October. That means late-summer warmth could try to return as we move deeper into fall.
7 Day Forecast at a Glance
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Monday: Sunny, highs near 82°
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Tuesday: Isolated mountain shower (20%), highs 81°
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Wednesday–Friday: Mostly sunny, highs upper 70s, cooler mornings
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Saturday–Sunday: Dry, sunny, highs near 78–80°
Final Word
The takeaway: East Tennessee enjoys a stretch of quiet, comfortable weather this week while the tropics stay offshore. High pressure means cooler nights, seasonable afternoons, and plenty of sunshine as we head into October.
If you want your forecast in under 60 seconds, check out Witcher’s One Minute Weather on the East Tennessee Weather App, at eastTNweather.com, or on YouTube.
Have a great Monday, and I’ll see you back here at 6 with your evening update!
