Drought Conditions Worsen Across West Tennessee
WBBJ 7 Forecast Update:
WBBJ 7 Forecast Update:
Did you see the sunset tonight across West Tennessee? It was beautiful for the entire Mid South tonight!
Not one week in the last 11 weeks, has Jackson seen average or above average rain amounts for that given week. This week is going make it 12 weeks in a row. Since the end of August, the Hub City has only recorded around 2.5″ of rain and we average over 9″ during that time frame in a typical year. This has lead to extreme drought conditions across the region. This lack of rainfall is starting to cause fire concerns. Although we could see a few sprinkles or some light rain showers on Wednesday, most of us will not see anything falling at all. Friday will bring a better chance but it sure isn’t anything to get excited about. There appears to be a much better chance early next week. Catch the latest on who is most likely to see any showers this week and catch your complete weekend forecast coming up here.
TONIGHT:
We saw a mix of sun and clouds on Tuesday as the low pressure system begins to intensify to our south. The winds will came out of the east and hung around 10 MPH most of the day. Temperatures were near normal and reached the mid to upper 60s into the afternoon. Tuesday night lows will drop down to the upper 40s. We didn’t see any rain on Tuesday, although a few sprinkles may try to move in late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, but do not count on it.
WEDNESDAY:
Our first shot for rain this week will show up on Wednesday. We are not expecting much if any rain at all and the chances are best the further south you are. Chances currently sit at 10%. Some folks south of I-40 may receive up to 1/10″ of rain at best. Places north of Jackson will be lucky to see anything more than a trace of rain or a few sprinkles. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy on Wednesday. Places north of Jackson will likely encounter a few hours of sunshine. Highs on Wednesday will reach the mid 60s with overnight lows dropping down to around 50° again. The winds will start to turn to the southeast late in the day on Wednesday.
THURSDAY:
Thursday will be a bit more humid than earlier in the week due to the southerly winds. This will keep our overnight temperatures above normal. Due to the clouds sticking around most of the day, highs will only reach the mid 60s again. Shower chances look low, below 10% on Thursday overall dry conditions expected. There will be a better chance for some rain on Friday. Thursday night lows will be warm and fall down to the mid 50s from the cloud cover and the slight increase in the humidity.
FRIDAY:
The low pressure system near New Orleans is not going to move much this week but it will begin to move to the northeast on Friday. As it moves out some light showers are expected to try to move on in. A weak front is going to pass by as well and that will also bring a shot for a few showers. We are not expecting severe weather or any storms from the front as of now. Friday will be our best shot for rain this week but it would be surprising if anyone saw more than 1/2″ from the weak front. Chances for rain sit at 40% as of now. Friday highs are forecast to reach the mid to upper 60s and Friday night lows will fall back down to the upper 30s behind the cold front. Rain showers will clear out before the sun comes up to kick off the weekend.
THE WEEKEND:
We are expecting a cooler, rain free and mostly sunny weekend for the most part across West Tennessee. The winds will come out of the north on Saturday behind the front and will look to shift to the east as we get going into the day on Sunday. Highs on Saturday will reach the upper 50s and we should warm back to the low 60s on Sunday. Saturday night will be cool with Sunday morning looks to start out in the mid to upper 30s. We will likely stay above freezing though this weekend. Early next week the winds will shift back to the southeast allowing us to warm back up above normal by Monday.
FINAL THOUGHT:
The first frost and freeze came early in November and we had record highs the following week. Seasonable weather looks to return for this week across West Tennessee. There are a few chances for rain this week but overall things are looking bleak in the rain department. There appears to be a better chance for heavy rain early next week. We really need the rain badly as drought conditions are becoming extreme across most of West Tennessee.
For tips on preparing for the storms, click here. To download the WBBJ 7 Weather app, click here.
Storm Team Chief Meteorologist
Joel Barnes
Facebook: @JoelBarnesWeather
Twitter: @JoelBarnes13
Instagram: @joelbarnes13
