Soupy Conditions Continue
Good afternoon folks! The first thing you notice as you step outside is the humid airmass, which is currently running well above normal for early June. We'll continue to deal with muggy conditions all the way into Saturday and possibly into early next week, but this is not set in stone as confidence in the models drops after the weekend. We hit the repeat button on Wednesday, with a slightly higher chance for regionwide showers on Thursday as we transition to southwesterly flow (better for our region in terms of rain development). A front moves into the region Friday and more or less stalls across the Piedmont on Saturday, allowing showers to develop at any point throughout the day (much like it has been the past two days). Speaking of the recent rainfall, Monday into Tuesday has produced a 0.10 - 0.25" for most of SW NC, with numerous spots above the half inch mark and several sites along the southern portions of Jackson and Haywood counties close to one inch. We'll pick up another inch or two of rain over the next few days (much higher amounts for slow moving downpours), but coverage will be spotty so some folks will experience a gully washer, while others just a few drops. Temps all the while remain near normal as they push into the low - mid 80's Wednesday through Saturday, with Thursday looking like the "coolest" day of the week but keep in mind it will still be very muggy outside.
Temps Wednesday reach the mid 80's across the region and we'll start the day with mostly cloudy skies, giving way to a period of mostly sunny skies that will eventually translate to scattered showers and thunderstorms as we approach sunset. Overnight lows settle into the low - upper 60's depending upon elevation with shower activity continuing throughout the night, but coverage should drop down to isolated by midnight.
Thursday features more cloud cover than Wednesday and temps will hold to the low 80's across the valleys, while the ridgelines above 5500' reach the upper 60's. Southwesterly flow takes over as the upper level low lifts northeast and the high pressure to our east pushes offshore, maintaining a steady flow of Gulf moisture across the Southeast. Scattered light - moderate showers are likely after midday, extending into the evening hours and eventually scaling back to a shower or two after midnight; overnight lows in the upper 50's - mid 60's.
Friday and Saturday will be similar enough to lump together as a front crosses the region, very slowly and nearly stalling to our southeast, allowing scattered showers and thunderstorms to pop up just about anywhere. Friday night will likely keep the party going pertaining to shower coverage as the front moves closer to the Piedmont. Temps push to the upper 60's - low 80's Friday and low 70's - mid 80's Saturday.
We'll stop here and circle back on Thursday but for those wanting a peek into early next week, the models show another frontal passage Sunday into Monday, prompting another round of regionwide showers. Stay dry!