As the mist begins to lift off the knuckles of the Smoky Mountains, Knoxville awakens to a day promising clear skies. The National Weather Service reports a sunny forecast with a scorching high near 93 degrees, and with the humidity locked at a stifling 100 percent as of the early morning, locals might feel the stickiness cling like a second skin. The heat index, a figure that conveys how hot it feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature, is expected to reach near 97 degrees. For those seeking solace in the evening, the sky will only partially grant their wish, turning to a partly cloudy respite as the temperature gently slopes to a more manageable 73 degrees, a slight nod to comfort in the dead of night.
Looking ahead to the weekend, the weather's tune changes a little. The National Weather Service indicates that Saturday and Sunday will both bear the hallmark of summer's fiery temperament with back-to-back days of bright sun and highs teetering near 93 degrees and while the calm winds might offer a brief respite they're not enough to offset the pervasive heat. As Sunday night rolls in, however, the plot thickens — a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms enters the stage, potentially providing a dramatic, if temporary, break from the incessant heat, the nighttime hours contemplating a drop to around 72 degrees with that same calm wind succumbing to a gentle southwest whisper.
The early prognostications for the new week suggest a continuity of heat with Monday again reaching a near 92 degrees, though the possibility of showers and thunderstorms looms at a modest 30 percent, it's a subtle reminder of the capriciousness of summer weather patterns. By Monday night, the skies are expected to clear up, bowing out to a tranquil low around 70 degrees. Rising with the new dawn, Tuesday's temperament is forecasted to grow even hotter, challenging the thresholds of outdoor comfort with a high near 95 degrees; and those betting against the rain might find favor in Tuesday night's low odds of precipitation.
Midweek may bring more variety to the skies above Knoxville, as the National Weather Service points to a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms on both Wednesday and Wednesday night while during the day, the sun could play hide and seek amongst clouds, occasionally bathing the city in its hot glow with the mercury again pushing up near 91 degrees. Thursday seems to suggest a slight reprieve with a lesser chance of rain, yet the sun will persist in its efforts to maintain the heat, offering up a high near 87 degrees as if to say the reign of summer is far from over.
