ASHEVILLE, N.C. — After a weekend of heavy rain and flooding, Asheville and the rest of the mountains are heading into a sunny, unusually warm stretch before a sharp cooldown arrives this weekend.
Skies cleared Monday as the remnants of Isaias moved away, with northwest winds gusting as high as 31 mph in Asheville. The forecast calls for sunny and warm conditions Tuesday, with a high near 82 and a low around 53. Wednesday turns sunny after some patchy fog, with highs in the mid-80s, and Thursday should again reach a high near 85. Friday stays mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
The warm spell is expected to end this weekend as a strong cold front moves through the region, dropping temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below normal. Lows could fall into the 30s across much of the mountains, and higher elevations and colder valleys could see frost or a light freeze. Friday night at the Asheville airport is forecast to bring a low near 40, partly cloudy and breezy, for Buncombe County.
Little moisture comes with the front, so widespread rain is not expected, though a few showers are possible as it crosses the mountains.
The dry days follow a very wet start to October. Asheville Regional Airport has recorded 5.25 inches of precipitation through Sunday, Oct. 11, nearly 4 inches above the normal 1.29 inches for this point in the month. For the year, totals stand at 40.20 inches, slightly above normal. Since Sept. 1, the airport has recorded 7.33 inches of precipitation.
Residents in flood-prone areas should stay alert for lingering high water and unstable ground as saturated soil and swollen streams take time to recover.