Big Warm Up Followed By Cold Snap

Special Statement
Expires 6:00 PM CDT on October 02, 2012 Statement as of 4:01 PM CDT on October 2, 2012

... Summer like temperatures late this week to be followed by a big chill... ...

Widespread frost possible early next week.

.. After clouds clear late tonight and Wednesday morning... you can expect southerly winds to bring a good warm up for the Wednesday through Friday period. Daytime highs will push into the 70s on Wednesday... then soar into the lower 80s in many areas on Thursday and Friday.

However... our weather pattern takes a turn toward much colder conditions over the weekend and early next week... as a large Canadian high pressure system works its way southward across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.

We first start to see the impacts of the chilly air on Saturday... as winds turn northerly... clouds and scattered showers roll in... and Saturday high temperatures struggle to reach the upper 50s to mid 60s over most parts of middle Tennessee. Lows then drop into the 40s late Saturday night and early Sunday and only top out in the upper 50s to lower 60s on Sunday afternoon.

The cold air will really start to get our attention early next week... especially Monday morning... as the center of high pressure moves across middle Tennessee. Right now... it looks like lows in the middle 30s will be common... and some spots may even be flirting with the freezing mark. Such temperatures... along with clear skies and calm wind... could lead to widespread frost formation.

Even though agriculturalists should be vigilant and expect a possible killing frost, it is still too early to tell exactly how cold temperatures will get during the first part of next week.