DELMARVA FORECAST
Thursday night: Clearing skies. Breezy. Lows in the mid to upper 40s.
Halloween: Mostly sunny and windy. Winds from the west could gust to 35 mph or more at times. Highs in the low 60s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and breezy. Highs in the low 60s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy and breezy. Highs in the low 60s.
Monday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of a few showers, mainly south. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tuesday: Chance of a few showers, then mostly sunny. Highs in the low 60s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 60s.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 64°F. Normal low: 43°F.
After a low pressure system brought rain and a few rumbles of thunder early Thursday, skies are gradually clearing this evening over Delmarva.
Those skies become mostly clear overnight as high pressure builds in from the west. Lows fall into the mid to upper 40s.
With the pressure gradient between the building high and the departing low, it's going to be a mostly sunny, but windy Halloween. Westerly winds could gust to 35 mph or more at times. Dangerous conditions on the waters around Delmarva have prompted Gale Warnings for Friday into early Saturday.
Coastal flooding will remain a hazard, especially along the Chesapeake Bay Friday, but with diminishing winds later in the weekend, the flooding threat will decrease.
High pressure stays in charge through the weekend, with mostly sunny skies Saturday (which will still be a little breezy). A weak upper trough will produce some clouds on Sunday, but no rain is expected.
Guidance is suggesting that an area of low pressure will pass south of Delmarva on Monday, with some guidance suggesting a weak coastal low developing. However, as of Thursday evening, we're not expecting any significant rain for Delmarva, although it will get breezy again. A cold front will approach on Tuesday, keeping breezy conditions over the peninsula, however it looks like this front could be mainly dry. I've kept a very low, 20 percent chance for a few stray showers in the forecast for both Monday and Tuesday, but it is looking like most will stay dry.
In the long range, temperatures are expected to average above normal, and precipitation above normal for November 6 - November 12.
In the Tropics: Hurricane "Melissa" is accelerating away from the Bahamas is it makes its way into the Atlantic. The forecast track takes "Melissa" to the west of Bermuda, but high surf and gusty winds have prompted a hurricane warning as the storm passes the island late tonight. The storm is expected to become extratropical late Friday, but maintain hurricane force winds for another day or so. It could bring gusty winds to Iceland on Tuesday.
There are no other areas of development interest in the tropical Atlantic.
The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30.