Saturday, May 2, is starting off on the gray and chilly side around Knoxville. Skies are mostly cloudy this morning, temperatures are sitting in the low 50s, and a light northerly breeze is keeping things cool. Skies should gradually clear as the day goes on, with a seasonable afternoon high near 66°F and north winds around 5 mph. If you are out late tonight, expect a cooler feel, with lows dropping into the low to mid 40s.
Afternoon Into Tonight
According to the NWS Morristown, Knoxville can look for partly sunny skies this afternoon with a high near 66°F and north winds around 5 mph. Tonight brings partly cloudy conditions and a low near 43°F with light northwest winds. Rain chances stay very low, around 5 to 10 percent, so most outdoor plans should roll along without a hitch.
Sunday Morning Frost Threat
Clearing skies overnight will help temperatures tumble before sunrise Sunday, which sets up a frost risk in higher valleys and on the Cumberland Plateau. The UT Extension calendar lists Knoxville's conservative “last spring frost” around April 22, so any brief, localized frost now would come later than normal for many neighborhoods. Gardeners will want to cover tender plants or move containers indoors if they will be exposed early Sunday morning.
Next Week: Warmup And Storm Chances
Temperatures bounce back Monday and Tuesday into the upper 70s, then the next significant chance for widespread showers and thunderstorms arrives midweek, with the highest rain probability Wednesday night into Thursday, according to the NWS Morristown. Southwest winds may pick up early next week, so it is a good time to secure lightweight outdoor items before Monday. Keep an eye on updates if you have outdoor plans later in the week.
Bottom line, Knoxville gets a mostly dry, cool Saturday, a chilly and possibly frosty Sunday morning in the usual colder spots, and then a warmup that brings storm chances back into the picture by midweek.
