Showers Mon & Tues; Gorgeous Wednesday

Good morning folks! Hazy conditions with periods of sunshine and partly cloudy skies will make up the action today (Saturday), transitioning to high, thin clouds Sunday with a much better chance for shower development. The front that moved through Friday still lingers to our south and will stick around through Tuesday, setting the stage for several rounds of rain, occurring Sunday, Monday late afternoon, and again Tuesday afternoon (timing not set in stone). An upper level trough will be in control most of next week and this will usher in cooler temps to the region starting Monday, with daily max temps at their lowest around Wednesday and Thursday; upper 70's - low 80's for the valleys! By Wednesday the setup should lead to a later summer/early fall feel across the region, with a noticeably drier airmass in place and temps that normally are found in early September. After the recent spike in temps this past week, this is certainly a welcomed change.

We'll start the timeline on Sunday and although we expect region wide showers to develop, with rainfall totals averaging 0.50 - 0.75" across SW NC Sunday into Monday, we don't expect it to be a washout. If you need the yard to be dry to get some work done, then today (Saturday) is your day as its likely your location will experience a passing shower or thunderstorm on Sunday. Temps only make it to the low 70's - low 80's depending upon elevation, which is right around normal for early August. Overnight lows settle into the low - upper 50's and this will be our first real change in temps, as most of our overnight lows have been in the upper 50's - mid 60's. Scattered showers will fizzle out by the pre dawn hours and clouds will be slow to clear the area Monday morning.

The biggest issue we have with the forecast for Monday and Tuesday is timing the next rounds of rain that the models show moving through the area. As of Saturday morning, the timeline plays out with region wide showers late Monday afternoon, ending before midnight, and a second round Tuesday afternoon, perhaps closer to midday than sunset. This is likely to change but the gist is still the same; we'll experience a period of sun and clouds for the first half of the day and then scattered showers the second half of the day on Monday and Tuesday. Temps will only make it to the mid 60's above 5000' both days, while the valleys sit comfortably in the upper 70's - low 80's! Overnight lows settle into the low - upper 50's each night.

Sunday through Tuesday is pretty ideal weather for early August but it gets even better Wednesday and Thursday, as mostly sunny skies take over, alongside an isolated shower or two closer to sunset. Temps hold to the upper 70's across the valleys, although its likely several spots in the more urbanized areas hit the low 80's. Dewpoints will be noticeably lower and with morning lows in the upper 40's - mid 50's (depending upon elevation), it will "almost" feel like fall.

We'll stop here and circle back Monday morning with a more defined timeline for the upcoming rain chances and a look at how long this pleasant weather lingers across the region. ENJOY!