Cold for December after the heat wave which raised temperatures above 40°C. A colder, drier air mass entered Rio Grande do Sul in the past few hours and brought low marks for this time of year in the early hours of Tuesday. The forecast is for values ​​still below the December average in the coming mornings.

In Quaraí, where on Friday the temperature reached 40.5 ºC, today’s minimum was only 12.3 ºC. Santana do Livramento, which recorded 37.0 ºC at the end of last week, today reached a low of 12.9 ºC. In Dom Pedrito, which registered 36.7 ºC on Friday, the day dawned today with 11.5 ºC.

Colder in the Countryside region and in southern Rio Grande do Sul. In Bagé, whose maximum on Friday was 36.7 ºC, a low in the single digits today with 9.9 ºC. In Jaguarão, which reached 37.7 ºC on Friday, the day dawned this Tuesday with 11.9 ºC.

The minimums for this Tuesday in the official stations were still low in Canguçu with 11.6 ºC, 12.5 ºC in Encruzilhada do Sul, 13.4 ºC in Chuí and Caçapava do Sul, 13.5 ºC in Santa Maria and 13, 7ºC in São Gabriel.

The temperature fell further in the official stations of Serra and Planalto with marks earlier in the day of 10.5 ºC in São José dos Ausentes, 10.8 ºC in Vacaria, 11.6 ºC in Canela, 12.0 ºC in Cambará do Sul and 12.6 ºC in Soledade.

Even smaller marks in the state were observed in private automatic stations with 8.8 ºC in Herval, 9.9 ºC in São José dos Ausentes, 10.3 ºC in Pinheiro Machado, 10.6 ºC in Cambará do Sul, 10.8 ºC in Bom Jesus, 11.2 ºC in Many Capões and 11.5°C in Gramado.

With clear weather and a dry atmosphere, the forecast is for lows to remain below normal for this time of year through the second half of this week. The smallest minima are expected to occur in Serra and Campos de Cima da Serra with the driest air in the region.

Even the possibility of freezing is not excluded. The Canadian model indicates the possibility of frost formation at dawn this Wednesday at points between Campos de Cima da Serra, in Rio Grande do Sul, and the Planalto Sul Catarinense. If it occurs, the phenomenon will occur in isolation and in the lowlands.

Single-digit marks may occur in those higher elevation locations in northeastern Rio Grande do Sul and lows around or below 5°C in the São José dos Ausentes region cannot be ruled out.

In Greater Porto Alegre, nights for the remainder of this week are also expected to be mild for mid-December. The Botanical Garden station in the capital is expected to record lows between 15°C and 17°C on Wednesday and Thursday, up from Friday. In the metropolitan area, the minimum can drop to 12°C or 13°C.