From 91° to the 60s: What’s Causing This Week’s Dramatic Temperature Drop?

It may feel like the middle of summer across the region today, but Mother Nature is about to flip the switch.

Temperatures across Rowan County are expected to climb to around 91° this afternoon. By Wednesday afternoon, we could be struggling to reach 68°.

That’s a temperature drop of more than 20 degrees in roughly 48 hours.

So, what’s causing such a dramatic change?

First Come the Showers and Storms

The transition begins with an unsettled period of weather today and Tuesday.

Most of Monday should remain hot with plenty of sunshine, but showers and thunderstorms will become possible later this afternoon and evening. Storm chances increase tonight, and any stronger storm could produce gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall.

Tuesday becomes considerably wetter.

Showers will be possible during the morning before showers and thunderstorms become more widespread during the afternoon and evening. Rain chances increase even more Tuesday night, when periods of heavier rainfall will be possible.

Localized flooding could become a concern where heavier rain repeatedly moves across the same locations.

Then the Cooler Air Takes Over

A front moving through the Carolinas will help open the door for much cooler air to move southward.

But this isn't simply a quick cold-front passage followed immediately by sunshine.

A large area of high pressure to our north will help push cooler air southward along the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains.

This creates something meteorologists call cold-air damming, often simply called “the wedge” in the Carolinas.

Cold, dense air becomes trapped against the eastern slopes of the Appalachians while northeast winds continue feeding additional cool air into the Piedmont.

The result can be several days of clouds, rain, northeast winds and temperatures that have difficulty climbing very much during the daytime.

Wednesday Will Feel Completely Different

Wednesday should provide the most noticeable change.

After reaching around 91° Monday, Rowan County is expected to see a high of only around 68° Wednesday.

Clouds, periods of rain and northeast winds will make it feel dramatically different from the beginning of the week. Wind gusts could occasionally exceed 20 mph as the cooler air becomes established.

Thursday could be even cooler, with a high around 66° and some rain lingering during the morning.

That means afternoon temperatures Wednesday and Thursday could run roughly 20 to 25 degrees cooler than what we experience Monday.

The Sunshine Eventually Returns

The wedge should gradually begin weakening later in the week.

Rain chances decrease Thursday, and by Friday we should begin seeing considerably more sunshine.

Temperatures will remain cool, however, with Friday's high expected around 71° and nighttime temperatures falling into the lower 50s.

So while this isn't necessarily the permanent end of warm weather, it will certainly provide our first significant stretch of fall-like weather.

The progression tells the story:

Monday: 91°
Tuesday: 84°
Wednesday: 68°
Thursday: 66°
Friday: 71°

From summer heat to cool, damp fall weather in only a couple of days.

After weeks of late-summer warmth, this week will finally give the region a much different feel.