Soggy Tues/Wed; Mixed Bag Thur/Fri
Good afternoon folks! We're in the thick of it now with southerly flow steadily pushing moisture into the region and we expect this setup to continue into the weekend, with a slight decrease in shower activity Thursday and Friday. The models have a better handle on the disturbance passing to our north Tuesday and it seems we'll benefit from its proximity as it sparks another round of scattered thunderstorms after midday. Scattered pop up showers develop Wednesday afternoon in the usual spots, while Thursday and Friday offer slightly lower chances for shower development and a bit more sunshine as moisture levels decrease across the region. This will be short lived as the high pressure to our east breaks down/migrates away from the area this weekend, setting the stage for a return to afternoon pop up showers Saturday and Sunday (coverage similar to Wednesday). Temps all the while go from the low 80's Tuesday and Wednesday across the valleys, to the mid - upper 80's Thursday and Friday as we enjoy an uptick in sunshine compared to Tues/Wed. If shower coverage increases this weekend then temps should also shift course, cooling down to the low - mid 80's across the valleys. The highest ridgelines above 5000' will enjoy temps in the upper 60's - low 70's each afternoon all week long, extending through the weekend.
We'll start the timeline on Tuesday, with another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms expected to develop by the early afternoon hours, fizzling out by the mid evening hours. Isolated showers will develop at anytime through the night into Wednesday morning due to continuing southerly flow and temps go from the low 80's Tuesday afternoon to the upper 50's - mid 60's overnight into Wednesday morning.
Wednesday through Friday features a steady decline in shower coverage but don't jump up with joy just yet because its still July in SW NC and that means afternoon showers are almost guaranteed. Shower coverage Wednesday will be scattered, a touch lower than Tuesday and by Friday it may be as low as isolated, with ridgelines being the most likely spot for shower development. Temps Wednesday hit the low 80's but could reach the upper 80's in our more urban spots like Bryson City, Franklin, or Sylva on Friday as we expect more sunshine than cloud cover. Overnight lows settle into the upper 60's - low 60's each night and shower coverage should be close to zero Thursday and Friday nights.
Saturday and Sunday bring back muggy conditions and scattered showers are expected each day, similar to Wednesday or even this past weekend. Temps hold to the mid 80's each afternoon, mainly due to the sunny start we are likely to have each day before noon.
We'll stop here and circle back on Wednesday with more detail for the upcoming weekend. ENJOY!