Wet start to the week expected in Albany

ALBANY — You may want to grab an umbrella when you head out to work Monday. And look higher than normal temperatures to continue all week.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, which covers Southwest Georgia, on Sunday was forecasting a high chance of rain in the Albany area as the work week — and Albany State University’s week of homecoming festivities — gets underway.

The forecast for Monday calls for a 50 percent chance of rain. It’s also expected to be breezy, 15 mph winds gusting to 30 mph. The high’s expected to reach 85. Precipitation totals should be around a tenth of an inch.

“For Monday, moist south to southwest flow will continue over the local region with an upper trough and approaching cold front to our west and deep layer ridging to our east,” the NWS forecast said Sunday, adding above-season temperatures are expected with possibility of precipitation in the 40-60 percent range.

While conditions will develop to suppress deep convection, the forecast says, “there will still be plenty of moisture along with daytime heating to keep 30-40 percent (possibilities of precipitation) in the forecast.”

The rain chance decreases Monday evening, dropping to 30 percent with most of it expected to be over by 2 a.m. Tuesday. The low will be around 74 and the wind calmer, about 5 p.m.

Tuesday also has the potential to be a wet one, with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 a.m. There’s expected to be consistent cloud cover all day with 5 mph winds. The high could climb to near 90.

Tuesday night, the chance of thunderstorms and showers drops to 20 percent under a mostly cloud night sky. The low will be around 73 degrees.

The rest of the week shows 30 percent chances of rain during the day Wednesday and Thursday, with highs each day around 90 degrees. Both nights have a 20 percent chance of rain with lows around 70.

The cold front “will approach the region Wednesday night into Thursday before stalling over or just south of our area on Friday,” the forecast says. ” Meanwhile, high pressure will continue to build aloft. Rain chances each day will be low (20-30 percent), with temperatures above seasonal levels.”

The long-range forecast for Friday and Saturday has a high in the mid-80s both days and a 20 percent chance of rain. Lows are expected to be in the upper 60s.