Grab your umbrellas and unpack your sweaters – the weather is going to take a cold and rainy turn this weekend according to forecasters.
As the day progresses, the clouds will become heavier and the chance of rain will increase, said Meteorologist Terry Getz with the National Weather Service office in Morristown.
“The late afternoon has a chance of rain and possibly some thunderstorms,” Getz said. “The primary period of rain will be on Friday night and up to about Noon or 2 p.m. on Saturday.”
While there will be a chance for thunderstorms with the weather system that will move through the area, Getz said Elizabethton will see “mainly showers.”
In addition to the moisture, this series of weather fronts will also bring cooler temperatures to the region, Getz said. Right behind the weather system bringing the rain will be a cold front causing temperatures to drop, he added.
“Saturday morning will start out about 55 degrees or so,” he said. “The high on Saturday will be around 65 or 66 degrees.”
“It’s going to stay kind of cloudy as well on Saturday,” he added.
Saturday is when the real temperature shifts will begin, Getz said.
“There is some very cold weather coming down out of Canada,” he said.
Overnight Saturday, the temperatures will drop into the upper 40s or lower 50s, Getz said. As the day progresses on Sunday, temperatures will not increase very much, as the highs will only reach the upper 50s to lower 60s according to the forecast.
“The normal highs should be in the lower 70s for this time of year,” Getz said. “We’re talking 15 degrees cooler than normal on Sunday.”
Those planning on outdoor activities this weekend — like the annual Celtic Festival at Sycamore Shoals State Park — should plan for the weather, Getz said.
“Wear a sweater or a jacket, and it wouldn’t hurt to have an umbrella,” he said.