Isolated Thunderstorms through Saturday
Good afternoon folks! We sure are enjoying this mostly sunny Tuesday as drier air continues across the region, however this will slowly change as the week plays out, with increasing moisture levels by Thursday or Friday. We'll enjoy another mostly sunny day Wednesday and isolated thunderstorms will make up the action for Thursday through Saturday, possibly even Sunday. The upper level ridge that is keeping most of the convection at bay will linger through the end of the week, possibly breaking down as early as Saturday but more than likely Sunday into Monday. The models have not made up their mind as to when additional moisture will funnel into the region and while we enjoy this break from the rain, temps will push to slightly above normal levels but nothing that will be unbearable.
Wednesday keeps mostly sunny skies overhead with rounds of high cirrus clouds passing overhead and after a foggy start for the valleys, temps will push into the upper 60's along the ridgelines and mid 80's across the valley floor. Temps dip into the mid 50's - low 60's Wednesday night under partly cloudy skies, with more fog likely for the lower elevations.
Thursday through Saturday features the typical summertime setup, with sunshine to start the day and partly cloudy skies to end the day, alongside a few isolated thunderstorms, usually developing along the ridgelines. Temps continue to push into the upper 60's - mid 80's each afternoon and by Saturday it may feel more like the upper 80's - low 90's in the valleys as moisture slowly builds across the region. An upper level disturbance will pass well to our north Friday but this may influence shower development and lead to a few more showers popping up compared to Thursday or Saturday. Overnight lows remain in the upper 50's across the highest elevations, but will creep into the mid 60's along the valley floor by week's end.
Sunday into early next week is not set in stone but a slight change to the pattern is possible as an upper level trough slowly moves out of the western part of the country. This could lead to the upper level ridge weakening and if a front swings through, provide enough moisture and instability for scattered thunderstorms. We'll wait till Friday afternoon, which is when our next discussion comes out, to focus on Sunday through Tuesday of next week.