Slight cool-down expected next week after some weekend storms
After the hottest June on record across the nation, a slight cool-down is expected in the Chattanooga area next week after scattered showers over the next few days.
Highs are expected to be in the low 90s with lows in the low-to-mid 70s over the weekend, but temperatures should cool off to the mid80s early next week with lows in the mid 60s to low 70s. There is about a 50% chance of scattered storms over the weekend, according to WRCB.
According to the WRCB forecast, storms are most likely in the afternoon over the weekend, and will be followed by cooler, drier air next week.
“I do think we’ll see some areas of heavy rain popping up here and there, but it’s not going to be anything that is widespread and encompassing the entire area,” meteorologist David Karnes said Thursday. “We’ll just have
showers and thunderstorms possible each afternoon.”
The chance of rain goes down to about 30% on Tuesday, with humidity around 70% and highs near 85 degrees in the middle of next week. Lows drop down as low as 65 degrees next week, as storms and humidity clear out after a front moving through on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“That sweeps out not only our chances of rain, but a lot of the humidity and cools our temperatures back down,” Karnes said. “It is going to feel really, really nice by the middle of next week, but between here and there we have a lot of humidity, warm air, a few showers and thunderstorms, and basically typical July air.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday announced that June averaged 60.6 degrees, about 1.7 degrees warmer than the 20th century average, according to The Associated Press.
It beat out 2016 for the hottest June with records going back to 1880. NASA and other groups also concluded that last month was the hottest June on record.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.