With rain showers, claps of thunder, and blustery winds, prepare for an ugly day before an afternoon cold front pushes through our region. I wish someone would tell Mother Nature to take off that costume now that Halloween is over.
At Least It’s Warm This Morning
We will be starting off our day in the mid to upper 60’s across our area, but grab your raincoat, umbrella, and boots as locally heavy rain and stiff winds are likely. Less rainfall is expected for today than models were hinting at yesterday, so strong winds rather than flooding will be the greatest concern. Better secure your outdoor fall decorations if you want them to last through Thanksgiving.
Afternoon Cold Front Timing
Temperatures will tumble from the mid 60’s to the mid 50’s behind the cold front with a quick-hitting bout of showers and gusty winds in between. Here is the breakdown of when the cold front will push through each of our counties today:
Butler and Logan: noon-2 p.m.
Warren, Simpson and Edmonson: 2-4 p.m.
Barren and Allen: 4-6 p.m.
Mid-Latitude Cyclone Responsible for Today’s Weather
Mid-latitude cyclones are powered by temperature differences between colliding warm and cold air. Warm air is drawn from the south around the cyclone’s low pressure system in the warm sector of the storm, and cold air is drawn from the north in the cold sector. We will be in the warm sector this morning and transition to the cold sector by this evening.
Where the sectors meet (aka fronts), lighter warm air is forced to rise over the heavier cold air creating clouds, precipitation, and storms like we could see today. The movement of mid-latitude cyclones is forced by winds in the upper atmosphere and is worthy of an upper level meteorology class and a separate discussion another time.
Cooler and Quieter Weather Tomorrow Through This Weekend
Morning lows in the low 40’s will send everyone back to ordering pumpkin spice lattes in coats come tomorrow and Saturday. Tomorrow will stay pretty dreary with a chance of light showers in the evening, but we should clear off come Saturday and Sunday–perfect for raking all those leaves.
That’s all I have for you today. Enjoy the fall foliage, and follow @wxornotbg for the latest updates.