Hot and Muggy through Friday
Good morning folks! We'll continue to deal with muggy conditions today (Tuesday) through Friday but cooler and drier weather is expected this weekend, with dewpoints low enough to remind us that fall is around the corner. Although today is the 1st day of meteorological fall, we really don't settle into the cool and dry pattern till later this month, with a normal high of 82°F on September 1st, dropping to 73°F by October 1st for Cullowhee (and other valleys). Shower coverage remains scattered today, scaling back ever so slightly on Wednesday and Thursday, returning to scattered coverage late Friday as a front approaches the region. All of this may sound like an active next couple of days, but for the most part it will be dry with the 5 day rainfall totals around 0.25 - 0.50" for most of SW NC. The weekend ahead looks pleasant enough for a holiday weekend, however Labor Day is still up in the air in regards to a slight increase in shower coverage compared to Saturday and Sunday; nothing to fret over, keep your outdoor plans.
We'll continue to work and play in the soupy airmass today and once the sun breaks through the morning fog and low lying clouds, we expect scattered showers and a few thunderstorms to fire up across the region. It will be noticeably warmer today and unfortunately the heat will stick around through at least Friday with temps today hitting the mid - upper 80's, coupled with dewpoints in the upper 60's. Overnight lows will settle back into the low - upper 60's again tonight with shower activity fizzling out past sunset.
Wednesday through Friday will be similar to today, with temps pushing slightly higher Wednesday and Thursday to the upper 80's, leveling off to the mid 80's on Friday. The Bermuda High that is spinning excess moisture our way will wind down as we near the weekend, but we'll continue to enjoy (or despise) muggy conditions through the middle of the week, prompting scattered showers each afternoon. There should be a good deal of sunshine each morning, lasting till the early - mid afternoon hours until showers develop, with coverage waning during the evening hours. The one exception looks to be Friday night as the front could keep showers going into the pre dawn hours. Overnight lows will continue to dip into the low - upper 60's each night.
Saturday and Sunday offer up a mixed bag of clouds and sun with perhaps more sun on Saturday compared to Sunday but the real excitement is tied to the lower dewpoints and normal temps. Afternoon highs will push into the mid - upper 60's above 5000', while the valleys only warm to the low 80's Saturday and upper 70's Sunday (due to an increasing in cloud cover). Shower coverage will be isolated both days, increasing to scattered by Labor Day.
We'll stop here and circle back on Thursday with a more detailed look at the upcoming holiday weekend.