Sunny weather continues in Philadelphia region through the weekend

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — If you like the dry days with tons of sunshine, low humidity and comfortable temperatures, then this forecast is for you as our spectacular September stretch continues! In fact, since Aug. 18 (nearly 4 weeks), we have only had two days with measurable rainfall in Philadelphia (Sept. 2 and 7), and even then the total rainfall only amounted to .36 inches!

The extended outlook from the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is for drier-than-normal conditions across the Delaware Valley through Sept. 24. Currently, we are not in a drought, but abnormally dry conditions are spreading across the area. While we may see a few showers creep into the forecast toward the middle of next week, it doesn't look like anything all that heavy as of now.

As for the tropics, Francine made landfall in Louisiana Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. as a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph. While the storm will be deteriorating in the coming days, the moisture will continue to drench much of the lower Mississippi Valley into the weekend. We'll be watching this very carefully, but right now, the storm doesn't appear to make it far enough north to impact the weather in the Philadelphia area.

The same dominant area of high pressure that is responsible for our great weather will be the same weather system to steer Francine west of our region and through the Mississippi Valley. We may notice some bands of high clouds from the outermost edge of Francine, but that will likely be the extent of it.

With this taste of fall in the air it's hard to believe we are still in the summer season, though temperatures will continue to warm this week. The autumnal equinox (start of fall) is in less than two weeks on Sept. 22 at 8:44 a.m. On that day we have equal hours of daylight and darkness, but our hours of daylight will quickly become shorter after Sept. 22, and the days will feel even shorter on Nov. 3 when daylight saving time ends and we flip the clocks back one hour, brightening our mornings but darkening our evenings. The one silver lining is that extra hour of sleep.

Here's your 7-day forecast:

Thursday: High of 83, low of 59, sunshine

Friday: High of 83, low of 62, sun, high clouds

Saturday: High of 86, low of 61, sunny, warm

Sunday: High of 84, low of 62, mostly sunny

Monday: High of 82, low of 61, clouds, some sun

Tuesday: High of 83, low of 63, partly sunny

Wednesday: High of 76, low of 67, shower possible

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