Fall weather  doesn’t arrive all at once, it comes in small doses with breaks of warmer weather in the middle.  Eventually, the breaks of warmer weather become less frequent, the warmth is not so warm, until finally it just seems like there is a chill in the air most of the time. 

This week will experience a brief shot of chilly autumn air, a couple of days with mid-summer like warmth and then a return to cooler fall weather as we head into the weekend.

The reason behind the changes is the jet stream is trying to move south to a more fall or winter position.  However, this time of the year, summer is still winning.  

A few showers crossed the area this morning with some of the heavier rain waking me up around 4 AM.  As skies clear this afternoon, cooler and drier air brings a refreshing touch to the afternoon air.  If you have outdoor plans today, the bulk of the showers are offshore before noontime. The radar below shows where the showers were around 9AM.

With the nights growing increasingly long, the opportunity for temperatures to fall is growing.  This time of year, we are experiencing very close to an equal length of time between sunrise and sunset and sunset and sunrise.  By the middle of the evening tonight, there will be a noticeable chill to the air as temperatures start their decline into the lower 40s. 

Some areas in the mountains and foothills could see a light frost tomorrow morning so there is a frost advisory issued for areas in blue.  We are still several weeks away from a frost along the coast and as such, there is no need to take any precautions with your plants tonight. 

Monday is a sparkling day with plenty of sunshine and cool temperatures.  If you are in the shade it will feel chilly, but in the sunshine it will feel great.  Tuesday, as warmer air streams north temperatures will rebound well into the 70s with some spots over interior York and Cumberland counties nudging towards 80F.

Wednesday could be the warmest day we have until next summer.  Predicting the last really warm day isn’t easy, but at some point we reach a temperature we won’t exceed again until the following year.  Highs on Wednesday will easily reach the 80s and an isolated temperature of 87F or 88F isn’t out of the question.

The day will be mostly dry, although a shower or t-storm can grow in the afternoon.  Any showers will tend to increase in coverage Wednesday night and Thursday as a weather system moves through.  There can be a few more thunderstorms and the humidity levels, which will be high Wednesday will start to decrease for the end of the week.

Showers leave the forecast later Friday and should set us up for a nice mid-September weekend next weekend.  There will be lots of sunshine and pleasantly mild readings on the thermometer.

 

The tropics continue to be quiet with one area of thunderstorms now leaving Africa that could perhaps organize into a named system later this week somewhere in the southern Atlantic. 

Gardening this week Not that long ago I was fortunate to take a trip to Ecuador. The country is very beautiful and known for a wonderful growing climate. In this video I show you some of my visit to a farm that grows roses for markets all over the world. I’ll be updating the details of the weather on Twitter at @growingwisdom Please follow me there. Feel free to comment or ask questions too.

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