A month into the season, temperatures ready to fall

McALLEN — It may finally be time to give the air conditioner a night off.

Starting Monday, weather forecasters say it’s going to get chilly outside — by Rio Grande Valley standards, at least.

The first major cold front of the season is forecast to move through the Valley on Monday morning, bringing showers and thunderstorms.

Once the rain passes, sunshine and drier air should settle in.

Temperatures are forecast to peak around 80 degrees during the day and fall to the upper 50s at night, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’ll be dry enough air that you can probably open up the windows finally,” said Greg Flatt, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Brownsville.

After months of daytime high temperatures hovering in the mid-90s, the cold front will bring temperatures back down to normal for late October, Flatt said.

“Usually, we get our first cold front earlier than we did this year,” he said.

Highs should crawl into the mid-80s by the end of the week, “but it won’t be like it has been,” Flatt said.

Area temperatures peaked in the mid-90s Friday afternoon.

As he swept acorns from his sidewalk so pedestrians wouldn’t slip on them, McAllen resident Bill Posey said summer temperatures in the Valley last long enough.

A lifelong resident of the area, he said he’s ready for it to start feeling like autumn.

“We have had a long enough summer,” the retired biology teacher said. “I’m ready for a little cool weather.”