Triple digit feels

Nicole Madden,

AM Weather Headlines:

  • Triple Digit Feels
  • Scattered PM Storms
  • Thursday Cold Front
  • Brief Relief Friday
  • Weekend Heat Builds

Discussion:
A big dome of high pressure offshore is funneling hot, humid air into the Carolinas. That moisture rich flow helps fuel afternoon storms, especially over the mountains and along leftover boundaries.Today’s storms will move quicker than Monday’s thanks to stronger winds aloft, which will help lower the flash flood risk a bit. Still, with dew points in the mid 70s and PWATs (precipitable water) still well above normal, some downpours could be heavy. This will also make it feel like the triple digits with actual highs pushing near 90.

Wednesday brings a little dip in moisture aloft, and models show a weak inversion, which may cap off storm development for many spots. Still hot though with highs in the low 90s, but it will feel like the triple digits. On Thursday, a cold front approaches from the west. That front, combined with peak heating and surface instability, sets the stage for stronger storms – possibly organized clusters, especially north of Charlotte where shear is a little better. Damaging wind gusts would be the main concern.
After the front, we get a short window of slightly drier air Friday into Saturday. Dewpoints will drop just enough so it will still be sticky, but not at the instant sweat level. But the break is brief –  by Sunday, the Bermuda High expands west and a strong upper ridge builds over the Mid-Atlantic. That’ll squash storm chances and crank temps into the upper 90s with heat index values likely topping 100+ again early next week.