Issued: 9pm on Sunday, September 24th 2023
Technical Forecast Discussion
Short-term Forecast (Sunday 9/24/23 through Tuesday 9/26/23):
Sunday, Athens is sitting just west of what used to be tropical storm Ophelia. The low pressure has weakened significantly and will not directly impact Athens in terms of heavy precipitation, however since we are still in the outer bands northwest of the center of the low we will have increased cloud cover, and easterly winds. This low pressure will continue to impact Athens through Monday evening and potentially bring a light rain shower or two late Monday before it heads east into the Atlantic. Tuesday, cloud cover looks to decrease slightly as Athens awaits the next low-pressure system that is occluded. However, a boundary ahead of the system looks to spark a few light showers throughout the day on Tuesday.
Long-term Forecast (Wednesday 9/27/23 through Saturday 9/30/23):
Wednesday should remain dry throughout the afternoon, but there will be a weak line of showers during the evening into the overnight hours as the upper-level low enters the area along with an incredibly weak jetstreak. Clusters of showers are expected throughout the day Thursday through the evening hours ahead of the outflow boundary. The showers should remain sub-severe as the trough is slightly positively titled and CAPE values remain low. Long-range models suggest another round of showers during the early morning hours on Friday along the outflow boundary and at the base of the upper-level trough. The outflow will be southeast by the afternoon and it should remain fairly dry. High pressure looks to build in beginning Friday night due to upper-level ridging, which should allow for skies to clear by Saturday afternoon with dry conditions. Throughout this period, afternoon temperatures look to remain in the mid-70s though, as no significant fronts are expected with the system.
