Monday overnight forecast nearly 10 degrees below average for York County area

Overnight Sunday and Monday night, meteorologists predict cool air will roll into the York County area, pushing temperatures down to the low 50s – nearly 10 degrees colder than the average for this time of year.

The somewhat unseasonably cooler temperatures give local residents an early taste of autumn, with the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) still more than one week away.

This week’s forecast for the local area calls for mostly sunshine, less humidity and warmer temperatures – possibly in the low to mid 80s – throughout the day. By Tuesday, meteorologists say overnight temperatures will return to normal for mid-September, staying in the low 60s most of the week.

The National Weather Service reported on Sunday that cooler temperatures could be found in many places around the region. At Mt. Mitchell near Asheville, N.C., meteorologists said the Sunday morning temperature was just four degrees above freezing – 36 degrees – with a wind chill/“real feel” of 24 degrees.

In Columbia, the weather service recorded the lowest morning temperatures since May – a cool 54 degrees around 8 a.m. But, like elsewhere across the state, temperatures warmed up, reaching mid to high 70s in most places.

Weather experts say a high pressure system moving through the Southeast is to thank for the below-average temperatures and the low humidity.

This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Monday overnight forecast nearly 10 degrees below average for York County area."