Sunny Tuesday; Showers return Thursday
Good morning folks! We're focusing the forecast discussion from Tuesday into Saturday and we'll continue to enjoy sunny and warmer temps today and Wednesday, however an isolated thunderstorm or two is likely Wednesday afternoon. Excessive moisture levels push into the area early Thursday, setting the stage for an afternoon of thunderstorms and passing showers. Friday and Saturday keep rain chances alive with scattered pop up showers throughout the day on Friday, followed by a round of thunderstorms early Saturday afternoon. Temps will peak on Wednesday and level out Thursday into the weekend with temps running 3 - 5 degrees above average.
If you've been wishing for sunny, warm, summer days then today is your day with mostly sunny skies overhead and temps pushing to the upper 60's - mid 80's depending upon elevation. We may see an isolated shower develop along the Great Balsams or Southern Highlands Plateau, but for the most part it will be a dry day. Temps settle into the upper 50's - mid 60's tonight under mostly clear skies.
Wednesday will feature a slight change to the overall setup as moisture begins to push back into the region, really ramping up as we approach sunrise on Thursday. As the upper level ridge moves nearby the region throughout the day temps will be able to climb to the low 70's - upper 80's depending upon elevation and coupled with a slow increase in humidity levels, the stage is set for a fairly uncomfortable afternoon. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will develop closer to sunset, mainly along the highest ridgelines. If you need to wrap up your hay cuts, we advise doing so no later than Wednesday as region wide rain will fall begin to fall Thursday late morning. Overnight lows dip into the upper 50's - low 60's once again, this time under partly cloudy skies with shower activity ending before midnight.
Thursday into Saturday will be wet but you can dance around the storms Saturday, while Thursday is a no go for outdoor plans and Friday is a toss up (depends if you can withstand a few passing showers). We are expecting 0.25 - 0.5" of rain for most of SW NC on Thursday, with a few isolated locations pushing close to one inch as showers move slowly across the landscape. Friday features pop up showers throughout the day with light - moderate intensities and coverage will be scattered at best, so you could find yourself only dealing with one or two light showers with rain totals under a tenth of an inch. Saturday should bring us an organized line of storms shortly after midday as a cold front crosses the region, but totals will be light and the rain short lived. Temps will level off to the upper 60's - mid 80's Thursday and hit the repeat button for Friday and Saturday, with overnight lows in the mid 50's - low 60's each night.
We'll stop here and circle back on Thursday. Be sure to enjoy the summer setup before rain chances return later in the week.