Rain, cooler air to sweep record-challenging warmth out of southern US this week

Rain and cooler air will slowly seep into the southern United States this week, erasing the current record-challenging warm spell.

Temperatures more typical of early November will replace the unseasonable warmth of late.

Several cities tied or broke record highs since the start of November, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts.

“Atlanta tied a record high on Saturday with a high of 80 F, while highs in the lower 90s caused Dallas to break records on Saturday and last Thursday,” Eherts said.

Atlanta also tied a record on Monday, at 78, and at least tied the record on Tuesday. Tuesday's old record was 79 set in 2005.

Cooler air has already pressed into part of central Texas, the Tennessee Valley and part of the lower Mississippi Valley.

The warmth will continue to get trimmed to the south and east as the week progresses.

Eighty-degree temperatures will be a thing of the past from much of the upper Texas coast to much of Georgia and the Carolinas on Wednesday.

Highs later this week will generally range from the 50s along I-40 to within a few degrees of 70 F along the western and central Gulf Coast.

Temperatures will go from soaring 10-20 degrees above normal during the current warm spell to being held to near-normal levels later this week.

Highs this time of year typically range from the middle and upper 60s along I-40 to the middle 70s across the central Gulf Coast.

Only the central and South Florida peninsula will not experience a significant drop in temperature.

Despite the cooldown, a frost or freeze is not expected from along I-20 corridor and points on south.

In addition to grabbing jackets, residents of the South will also need to keep umbrellas handy as the cooler air returns.

“The cold front sinking through the region will help promote clouds, showers and thunderstorms,” Eherts said. “That will limit sunshine and mitigate temperatures.”

A cold front marks the leading edge of a push of cooler or colder air.

Widespread heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding is not expected. The rain is instead expected to cause disruptions to outdoor plans and slower travel.

Rain and low-hanging clouds may lead to flight delays. This includes at Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas, on Wednesday and Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, both Wednesday into Thursday.

The one benefit of the rain will be to help ease the moderate drought conditions that are affecting several areas according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

"While the Midwest and Northeast will be hit by the coldest air of the season so far to end this week, that blast will largely avoid the South," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"Temperatures are forecast to rebound to above-average levels over much of the region next week," Sosnowski said.

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