A wild ride ahead for the metro

Can Mother Nature make up her mind? Will Memphis be seeing six more weeks of winter or is spring right around the corner? Sadly, not even Punxsutawney Phil can tell at this point what’s next on this wild roller coaster ride of weather. But we’ve got your back here at MWN!

The Deep, Short Chill

As a cold front dragged south across the metro earlier on Thursday, it brought rain to northern Mississippi and cold air in its wake. Temperatures Thursday night are expected to slip into the low 30s across the area, while a brisk northeast wind at around ten miles per hour will bring wind chills (what it feels like outside) down into the 20s.

The skies may be clearing up for Friday, with some sun peeking out by the afternoon, but the temperatures will not be so quick to respond. Expect highs to only hit the mid 40s to end your work week, so have that winter jacket handy. Lows on Friday night, too, will be bitter, falling into the mid to upper 20s.

The culprit of the cold air expected over the next 48 to 72 hours – low pressure and its associated cold front sweeping south across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.

Cold air is digging down behind an area of low pressure that is shifting southeast across Louisiana, with high pressure building into its place across the Great Plains. The winds overnight on Thursday and into Friday will not help the situation, but relief should be in store by Saturday. Winds will become more bearable and highs should approach 50 once again.

Rain (and spring) returning

Despite the cold temperatures plunging back south, the pattern stays slightly unsettled into early next week. A chance of showers remains on Saturday, especially in northern Mississippi across Desoto and Marshall counties. However, things look a bit drier for Sunday, with some clearing and temperatures bumping up to near 60 once again.

The North American Model (NAM) shows a good chance for showers across northern Mississippi on Saturday (about halfway through the loop), while the Memphis metro has lower rain chances. (COD.edu)

Perhaps the best chance of rain, and maybe a few embedded thunderstorms, comes to start your work and school week on Monday into Tuesday. As warmer temperatures return, pushing Memphis back into the mid 60s to near 70, expect an increasing chance of showers and storms. The coverage for these should be more scattered on Monday, as opposed to the more widespread activity expected for Tuesday. Severe weather chances will be monitored, but at this time they appear fairly low.

The roller coaster of weather takes another deep dive Wednesday and into Thursday of next week, as conditions clear and temperatures fall. Expect highs in the 50s on Wednesday, before a chilly round of 40s moves in for Thursday. In the long-term though, we could see another warming trend coming for the following week.

And the roller coaster ride just keeps on moving.

Be sure to check out @memphisweather1 on Twitter and Facebook page for the latest on the weather in the metro area. Also, bookmark our website to check the human-powered MWN Forecast each morning before heading to work or getting the kids to the bus stop. The MWN app is also great on the go for checking in on Mother Nature. Pertinent links are all listed below.

Alex Herbst, Meteorologist
MWN Social Media Intern

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