Weekend Forecast: Dry, Sunny And Unseasonably Warm For Sept.

An area of rain missed most of the region last night. This opportunity is now gone, and we have more dry weather on the way for perhaps as much as another week.

If you are going to be outside Friday it’s more important than usual to be careful with any flames or cigarettes. The ground is exceedingly dry as most of the region sees its driest September in decades. The warm weather of the upcoming weekend while welcome will exacerbate the drought.

High pressure will move into a position that will allow a southwest flow of air to pull temperature in the 80 degree range or higher both Saturday and Sunday. These highs are the reason we can’t seem to get any significant rain. They just keep the rain areas from moving far enough north to bring precipitation to the region.

Our drought has now entered a new phase and is now being called 'moderate' for parts of the region as it expands northwest. If this pattern continues into October without significant rain, we are going to see conditions worsen in spite of the growing season ending.

Plenty of sunshine will come through all weekend, and I highly recommend taking advantage of the nice weather. Even if we don’t see rain soon, warm 80 degree days are numbered. The nights are going to be comfortably cool for sleeping, but not so cool it won’t be possible to have a meal outside to take advantage of dining on the many restaurant patios in the region before they close up for the season.

Monday brings a slightly cooler day, but still unseasonably warm with more sunshine. It’s beginning to feel a lot like sunny California around here. Have a great weekend.

Friday: Sunny, highs in the lower 70s.

Friday night: Clear, with a low around 50.

Saturday: Lots of sunshine and warm. Highs around 80.

Sunday: Sunny and unseasaonbly warm. Highs in the lower 80s.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high in the mid 70s.

Tuesday: Lots of clouds highs in the mid 60s.

Follow updates from David Epstein on Twitter @growingwisdom.