What to expect for Fall in the MidSouth

Thursday September 22, 2016 at 9:21 AM Central marks the beginning of fall here in the Local 6 area. While temperatures are still very summer-like I wanted to give you a peak at how quickly our weather will change in the next couple months. The seasonal start represents equal parts daylight and darkness and we'll see a decline in daylight hours until the Winter Solstice in December. With less daylight comes less warmth in the Northern Hemisphere along with a migrating jet stream that often brings harsh storms both of the severe and winter variety.

A look at the graphic to the right shows that decline in temperatures from September to November. Hot and humid conditions with highs in the 80's and 90's are usually ongoing as we first embark on Fall but a chill in the air is rarely far behind. By October frost is threatening to bring an end to the growing season and November ushers in a higher chance of a first snow and daily jacket-wearing.
Seasonal allergies begin to wane with our first frost then the cold/flu season kicks in as big temperature swings keep us on our toes to stay healthy.Those big temperature changes are thanks to the polar jet stream dipping farther and farther south delivering arctic blasts of cold air. Our relative location to the Gulf of Mexico also keeps a chance of warm, moist air in play which can lead to nasty severe weather outbreaks and winter storms deeper into the season. This is why we call Fall our SECOND severe weather season in the Local 6 area. It's not uncommon for tornadoes and windstorms in October and November.
Below is a look at the outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for temperature and precipitation for the month of October.