Election day ends with near-record heat, followed by rain

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Some serious heat will persist through the end of the Eight Day Planner. We’re competing with many record temperatures, with *some* rain on Wednesday. We have a chance to see Raphael’s tropical rain stretch into the weekend, but the exact timing of the rain has yet to be determined.

For now: enjoy the warm sun!

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WHAT TO EXPECT

We just lost another record for warm weather. We’re aiming for 80 degrees by the end of Election Day. Tonight it should be completely dry and a bit windy. The previous wind advisory was allowed to expire on time. There will be some rain showers again on Wednesday; that said, don’t expect a big soaker. The best places for rain are the very peaks of the Smoky Mountains, along with Wayne and Fentress counties. A cold front lingers in Middle Tennessee, while a large bowling ball of rain remains more in the Atlanta-Columbia region.

Still, we’re approaching record heat on Wednesday and Thursday, even with those raindrops.

Rain chances Thursday and Friday are fairly low, but there are many outdoor events during UT’s Homecoming Week. Keep a close eye on the First Alert Weather app as we are constantly updating the forecast.

LOOKING FORWARD

The big question is WHEN will the rain hit our region this weekend? And could Rafael bring us some rain as the storm begins to move near another, more powerful cold front? Still too early to say for sure when it will rain this weekend, but it’s safe to say that overall rain chances are increasing.

Other than that, we are well above averages for the lows and highs. If you protected your plants during October’s brief cold snap, you’ll get a whole extra month of growing season, with no freezing temperatures anywhere nearby anytime soon.