Sunny stretch of weather continues today in Philadelphia region
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — After a chilly weekend across the region, with temperatures dipping to their lowest points this season, the sunshine will remain in full effect today as temperatures climb back into the upper 70s this afternoon.
The low temperature in Philadelphia dropped to 54 degrees, the coolest temperature in Philly since May 20, when the low temperature was 53 degrees.
Once they got going this morning, temperatures were quick to warm, with highs this afternoon climbing a little higher than Sunday but still, a few degrees below the average high for this time of the year, which is in the low 80s.
While most of the day will be mostly sunny, a little smoke from the wildfires out west could drift overhead today. This will not threaten surface air quality but could produce a faint haze in our sky through the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a weak system will drift east across upstate New York and Pennsylvania today, which may produce a few isolated showers over the Poconos and North Jersey later this afternoon and again overnight.
Otherwise, most of the region will remain rain-free and primarily clear tonight as temperatures cool back into the mid-upper 50s Tuesday morning. The rest of Tuesday will again feature plenty of sunshine as temperatures return to the low 80s.
The extended outlook from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is for drier-than-normal conditions across the Delaware Valley through Sept. 24. Although we are not in a drought, abnormally dry conditions are spreading across the area.
Quick tropical update: Tropical Storm Francine developed today in the Gulf of Mexico and moved north, impacting an area from Texas to Louisiana. While the storm may intensify into a Category 1 hurricane, the rainfall will be the primary concern, with 7 to 10 inches possible for some areas along the Gulf Coast. We'll be watching this very carefully, but right now, it doesn't appear to make it far enough north to impact the weather in the Philadelphia area.
With this taste of fall on the way, it's hard to believe we are still in summer. The autumnal equinox (start of fall) is in less than two weeks, on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 8:44 AM ET. On that day, we have equal hours of daylight and darkness. Still, our hours of sunlight will quickly become shorter after Sept. 22, and the days will feel even shorter on Nov. 3 when daylight saving time ends and we flip the clocks back one hour, brightening our mornings but darkening our evenings. The one silver lining is that extra hour of sleep.
7-day forecast
Monday: High of 78
Tuesday: High of 82, low of 59, gorgeous
Wednesday: High of 84, low of 59, sunny skies
Thursday: High of 85, low of 62, bright and sunny
Friday: High of 85, low of 62, few more clouds
Saturday: High of 86, low of 63, partly cloudy
Sunday: High of 84, low of 65, clouds, some sun