Two Frontal Passages this Week
Good Morning Folks! The majority of the rain that has fallen over the past 24 hours looks to be along and nearby the Great Balsams (range dividing Jackson and Haywood counties), with up to 1.5" along the ridgelines, alongside plenty of 0.50 - 1" readings. We'll experience another round of showers today and tomorrow (Tuesday), however by Wednesday slightly drier air moves in and it may take until Friday for the mugginess to return.
Today (Monday) will bring us passing clouds overhead, a round of pop up showers and thunderstorms around the early afternoon hours and a possible second round of rain this evening. This second round may not occur but a wave of energy is moving ESE and may cross our region around sunset, or it also may fizzle out and turn further south, avoiding our area all together. However, with the increase in clouds and shower activity today, temps will only make it to the upper 60's along the ridgelines to the low 80's in the deeper valleys. Most locations stand a chance at picking up another half inch of rain, with higher amounts under passing thunderstorms. Temps dip back into the low - upper 60's tonight under cloudy skies and if evening showers do develop, they will clear out of the region before midnight, allowing dense fog to develop for areas that picked up any rain this afternoon.
Thunderstorms are a good bet Tuesday afternoon as the front passes overhead, with clearing skies developing later that night. Wednesday and Thursday look gorgeous by mid July standards as more sunshine than cloud cover will be overhead and although we'll deal with more sunshine, temps will only make it to the low 70's - mid 80's depending upon elevation. The temps will be pleasant but the moisture levels more so as drier air invades the region early Wednesday. This will create a pleasant start to the day for both Wednesday and Thursday morning with lows dipping into the mid - upper 50's along the ridgelines each night, settling into the mid 60's for the valleys.
The end of the week will feature a return to muggy conditions and near normal temps with highs reaching the upper 60's - low 80's both Friday and Saturday, mainly due to cloudy skies and periods of passing showers and thunderstorms. The high pressure system that will be nearby Thursday will shift offshore Friday and usher in a southerly flow across the area (leading to muggy conditions) and when combined with a cold front later in the day Saturday, we can expect showers each afternoon, possibly clearing and drying out by Sunday. With this in mind, we recommend pushing your weekend plans to Sunday if possible, although we encourage you to double check by Wednesday to make sure this forecast still holds.
Our next update will come Wednesday morning.