Memphis rolled into the day under a sticky, partly cloudy sky, with morning temperatures in the mid-60s and an afternoon warmup aimed at the upper 70s. A steady south-southwest breeze is pumping in enough humidity to make it feel more like late spring than early March. Rain chances stay on the low side through daylight hours, then tick up after dark, so outdoor plans are mostly safe for a warm, largely dry afternoon.
Summer-Style Afternoons Through Friday
Highs are expected to top out near 79°F today, push close to 80°F on Thursday, and reach around 82°F on Friday. Those numbers could end up tying or even breaking local records later this week. That same south-southwest breeze will keep humidity elevated and overnight lows running unusually mild in the mid-60s. As a slow-moving front inches closer, rain chances climb late Friday into Saturday and could spark widespread showers and thunderstorms across the Mid-South, with pockets of heavy downpours possible. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Memphis are keeping a close eye on the setup.
Tonight Into a Muggy Thursday
Spotty rain showers may start to pop up after about 8 p.m. tonight, with a low near 65°F and a south wind around 10 mph. Most of the area should stay mainly dry into Thursday afternoon, although a few elevated showers or isolated storms could brush northwest Shelby County and nearby counties north of I-40. Expect a muggy night as clouds thicken ahead of that late-week front.
Friday Night Soakers and a Stormy Saturday
Rain chances ramp up Friday afternoon and especially Friday night, with heavier and more widespread storms likely on Saturday as the front slows down over the region. Rainfall Friday night will probably stay on the lighter side, around a tenth to a quarter of an inch, but repeated storms over the same neighborhoods or stronger cells could bring brief heavier downpours and gusty winds. Saturday will run cooler, with a high near 71°F, but it will also be mostly cloudy with around a 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms, so plan accordingly if you are banking on outdoor time.
What This Means for Your Plans
Drivers should be ready for slick spots and reduced visibility during any heavier bursts of rain from late Friday into Saturday, and it will not hurt to allow extra travel time on low-lying or flood-prone roads. If you are hosting large outdoor gatherings Friday night or Saturday, consider bumping them up earlier in the day or moving at least part of the event indoors, since stronger storms could bring lightning and short-lived but intense rainfall. We will update this space if any watches or warnings are issued later in the week.
This warm, humid stretch first popped up on our radar in a Hoodline forecast published Monday. For a refresher, check out Memphis heats up as storm threat creeps in. Keep an eye on updated forecasts and your phone alerts for any new information from the National Weather Service late Friday into the weekend.
