Temperatures have fallen into the low and mid 40’s overnight, the coolest readings since late April! The “heat island effect” is alive and well at Nashville International though. The pavement and buildings closer to major cities keep readings up as opposed to the outlying areas. Temperatures can fall an additional 5-10 degrees in outlying communities.

All things considered: low humidity, hardly a cloud in the sky, light winds and readings around the average: Today will be one of the 10 best days of the year! If you get a chance to get outside for your lunch hour…do so, you won’t regret it!

You’ll notice we are expecting a few more clouds to work their way into Middle Tennessee over the weekend. While we can’t rule out an isolated shower (best chance Sunday at 10-20%) most of the weekned should be dry and pleasant.

The extended forecast has us still in the 80’s until the middle of next week when a similar front to the one we just saw go by arrives on Thursday.

National Hurricane Center monitoring a weak system in the Carribean…could be labeled a depression over the next few days. Maps are showing the possibility of another system near Florida the middle of next week. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Kevin’s Class Question: Why is the right side of a hurricane considered the most powerful? (James in Lebanon)

Facing the direction of a tropical system, the right side has the reputation for being the strongest. This is because in the Northern Hemisphere the winds spin counterclockwise around the center. That means the winds blow in the direction of the coast on the right side instead of away from it. This results in higher storm surge and higher waves on the right side. And the wind has no friction due to land to slow it down. The tornado threat can also be greater on the right side. Bear in mind though that because the winds spin in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere, the left side is strongest there.

Kevin’s Class airs on Friday mornings during our 5:30 am half hour of News 2 This Morning. If you have a wetaher question, you can e-mail us at weather@wkrn.com!

After all, it is autumn! A fast moving cold front brought some showers and northerly winds over 20 mph overnight. Left behind will be quite a few clouds this morning, but they should clear from west to east this afternoon. Temperatures though will be the big story over the next 24 hours…readings may not get back to 70 later this afternoon as the sun returns. That will set up a pretty chilly evening tonight with lows ranging from 41 in Lewisburg (one of the normal cool spots) to 48 in downtown Nashville. Even I’m going to shut off my air conditioner this afternoon!

The cooler air won’t last long though. As you can see in the 7 day forecast above, we’ll be back into the lower 80’s this weekend with sunshine.

The next powerful cold front looks like it may come through sometime around Wednesday or Thursday next week.

As I mentioned yesterday, the tropics may be starting to get active again. The National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ will be send an aircraft into a disturbance in the Carribean this morning…a depression may be located later today. Other maps I have been looking at hint at a system near Florida the middle of next week too!

Our first true Fall cold front is expected tonight across Middle Tennessee. Ahead of it today readings will climb into the mid 80’s with light winds out of the southwest.

Behind it tomorrow, we may barely get back to 70 degrees after a few early morning thundershowers with a wind out of the north 10-20 mph! Lows Thursday night are expected to drop into the upper 40’s and lower 50’s.

This change just brings the reminder that we are at that time of year where things can and eventually will cool down…before we know it the leaves will be changing! How warm has it been lately? Heck, my tomato plants are still doing well!

Temperatures will shoot back into the lower half of the 80’s for the weekend though.

National Hurricane Center watching a disturbance in the Carribean this morning for possible development over the next few days. I’ve also been looking at maps that have hinted at a possible system in the general area of Florida the middle of next week…stay tuned! http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Since it’s in the local fishwrap this AM…I figured it was time to address it: http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050928/COLUMNIST0501/509280388/1121/ENTERTAINMENT06

Yes, I’m leaving soon. We are moving back to my wife’s hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire. It was a very tough decision made even more difficult by the wonderful people we’ve met here in Middle Tennessee over the last three years and the great job I have here. We will truly miss it here and plan on coming back for a vacation here soon. My last day on News 2 This Morning is Friday October 7th.

Now THIS is more like it…a lot less humidity, one rain chance and some cooler nights are the main characteristics of the 7 day forecast above. A true break from the air conditioner will be much appreciated by most (and their wallet too!) Today and Wednesday may be the warmest days in the next seven! Our first true autumn cool front will sweep across the midstate late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning bringing a round of showers and storms with it. Behind it, some of the coolest air of the season so far. How cool? Consider the forecasted low of 52 Friday morning (upper 40’s in outlying areas.) You have to go all the way back to last May 1-4, to find lows that cool!!!

The tropics seem to be taking a bit of a breather. Even though there are a few disturbances in the open Atlantic which could develop over the next few days, nothing will be threatening the U.S. mainland in the next 7-10 days.

I had a chance to visit my parents this weekend in Pensacola. I’ve come to realize that some of the worst is still yet to come. My parents are very stessed. My father looked ten years older (and he’s 81). They are coming to the realization that the house is probaly not repairable. My brother tells me that our parents had sort of a breakdown last night. I won’t give details of a private family matter, but it wasn’t pretty. Unfortunately, this morning, I had to pass on the word to them that our Aunt Betty Jane died of her cancer. They were very close to her.

My mother was so looking forward to staying with us in a condo on the beach. She had spent all week grocery shopping so she could enjoy cooking for us and just being a Mom. Even though Rita was 500 miles away, the tide and surf were so high that our cars would get water in them if we stayed there (not to mention the sandblasting we were getting from the 25-30 knot wind picking up the beach sand). Right when my Mom was cooking dinner (and seeming happier than she’s been lately) we had to tell her we had to move. My parents went back to my brother’s house, while my wife, daughter and I got a hotel room on the other end of the island (higher ground). We made the best of our visit, though, and enjoyed going out to dinner for a couple of nights.

However, things may get worse before they get better. They want to get back to the house and see if they can salvage my mother’s jewelry and other valuables and memorabelia (if a looter hasn’t gotten there first). They also just want to assess the situation. Several of their friends got into their houses last week (most had to sneak in, as our neighborhood is still closed). My parents and brother were going to go there last week. First they wanted to get into my father’s office in Metarie where there was no flooding and things are about back to normal. He has some important paperwork there, not to mention the blueprints for the flooded house. From there, they were going to attempt to get to the house. But then Rita came. Nobody would be able to get to even the non flooded areas.
By the way, Rita didn’t re-flood our house.

When can they get home and see the damage first hand? Can it be repaired? Where can you get a contractor, even if you can afford one, when so many houses need to be repaired or rebuilt? When you are elderly, is it worth it? What will it be like to see family pictures, diplomas, furniture, and all the things you’ve collected for all of your life covered in mud and silt?

These are just a few of the problems for one family. What about the tens of thousands of people in the same situation as my parents? I am coming to realize that the stress coming in the future for all of the people who suffered from Katrina and Rita may be worse than the stroms themselves. We need to continue to pray for all of the people affected by these storms.