3/23 – Payton’s Friday Night Forecast

A large area of high pressure over the northeastern gulf continues to bring dry and seasonably mild conditions to the area. A light return flow will take place tonight as the high slowly slides eastward. This will bring dewpoints back up to around 60 by late tonight south of the lake to the mid 50s farnorth. Warm and dry conditions will persist through the weekend. A trough will swing through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys over the weekend eventually bringing a weak frontal boundary into the area by late Sunday into Monday. The front will stall and wash out early next week bringing only a slight chance of showers on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday through Friday. The next significance system will move east on Wednesday with a stronger boundary over the Ark-La-Tex out ahead of a strong cutoff low over the southwestern US. On Thursday both models have become closer into agreement with the best chance of showers and storms being from Thursday north… Thursday night south and eastern areas. There is the chance for moderate to heavy rain along and ahead of the front. A few strong thunderstorms possible Thursday and Thursday night due to better surface based instability and mid-level forcing ahead and along the front with the greatest chance being extreme northern areas. Drier and cooler temperatures expected behind the front on Friday with seasonal to slightly below normal temperatures expected.