Widespread Showers Friday; Dry by Sunday

Good Morning Folks! The easterly flow over the region the past few days has resulted in a sharp cutoff pertaining to the rain, with 1 - 1.5" of rain falling along or just a few miles from the escarpment yesterday, whereas the deeper valleys such as Cullowhee picked up nothing. Easterly flow continues today, but will shift tomorrow as a front pushes through the region, allowing for widespread showers and thunderstorms. Spotty showers linger through Saturday as drier air tries to work its way into the region, however it will likely take till late Saturday afternoon or Sunday for mostly sunny skies to set up shop. Dry and warm conditions persist into Monday and Tuesday of next week, with temps climbing back to above normal levels by Wednesday.

Although temps will only make it to the mid - upper 80's today, remember (as if stepping outside isn't enough of a reminder) heat index values will push into the low - mid 90's, making for a miserable afternoon in the sun. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely once again, with the focus of the coverage along and nearby the SC state line, which means places like Cashiers, Highlands and Lake Toxaway could only reach the mid 70's for afternoon highs. As you drive toward the TN line shower chances decrease but the possibility remains, especially along the TN line. Overnight lows dip into the mid - upper 60's once again, with foggy conditions by morning as showers linger into the evening hours, keeping the humidity levels high across the region.

Friday and Saturday should be our wettest days of the week, with Friday featuring most of the action as a front swings in from the NW. This front will tap into the moist atmosphere and the instability provided by the front will prompt numerous showers and thunderstorms to develop after midday, with the main threat being heavy rain at the moment. Temps will only rise to the mid 60's along the ridgelines to the upper 70's in our deeper valleys (that's right, a sub 80°F high in July), but keep in mind tomorrow will be extremely muggy. Temps continue to struggle on Saturday, only making it to the mid 60's - upper 70's once again as clouds take most of the morning hours to clear out, with a decreasing chance for showers as the day moves along. Most of the region will pick up an inch of rain Friday through Saturday, but if you factor in today's rainfall along the escarpment, up to two inches is possible for places like Cashiers, Highlands, and Lake Toxaway.

Sunday should salvage the weekend with mostly sunny skies overhead and a noticeable decline in humidity levels, prompting many of us to bask in the sun as the heat index values drop like a rock compared to today. This fair weather will roll into the middle of next week, with afternoon highs hitting the low 70's - low 80's Sunday and climbing to the low 70's - mid 80's by the middle of next week.