October is giving Knoxville one more summer audition Thursday, with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 50s early in the day. Sunshine will push the temperature to about 83 degrees before a much wetter and windier weekend arrives across East Tennessee.
Sunny Thursday Leads Into A Warm Friday
Patchy fog developed early Thursday in sheltered river valleys, with some locations briefly seeing visibility drop to a quarter-mile or less. The National Weather Service office in Morristown said conditions should improve after sunrise, followed by dry weather and a light north wind.
Friday stays mostly sunny with a high near 82 degrees and a low around 61 Friday night. Clouds will increase later, with a slight chance of rain overnight.
Rain And Gusty Winds Arrive Saturday
Showers are expected to begin after 8 a.m. Saturday, with an 80% chance of rain and a high near 74 degrees. Northeast winds could gust to 35 mph, making exposed outdoor plans a less comfortable proposition.
Saturday night brings more showers and thunderstorms, with another 80% chance of precipitation and gusts up to 30 mph. Sunday remains unsettled, with showers likely and a high near 78 degrees.
Holiday Monday Looks Better
The forecast improves for Columbus Day, with only a slight chance of an early shower before partly sunny skies and a high near 79 degrees. Sunshine returns Tuesday with a high around 81.
Forecasters say the weekend system could bring locally heavy rain, especially across the Cumberland Plateau, southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina. Stronger winds are most likely in the mountains and foothills.
How This Weekend Compares With Helene
The forecast rain this weekend should not be confused with the impacts of Hurricane Helene, a separate storm in September 2024. According to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Helene brought 4-6 inches of rain to Tennessee, compared with more than 15 inches in North Carolina, causing localized flash flooding and flooding on larger rivers. The National Weather Service Morristown office also reported record-breaking rainfall and historic flooding in portions of the far eastern Tennessee mountains. Those past impacts do not establish that similar flooding is expected from this weekend’s system.
