Dry & sunny start to holiday weekend

The Queen City somehow squeaked into the 90s Wednesday afternoon for a 14th-straight day despite the clouds and the rain – and now our hot streak has no end in sight as highs regularly crack 90° through the holiday weekend. While it didn’t bring any relief from the heat, yesterday’s cold front will provide some respite from the humidity; dew points will sink into the mid-60s over the next several days, which won’t exactly feel like fall, but is miles better than the mid-70s we’ve been dealing with since the start of June. The drier air also means plentiful sunshine and minimal rain chances through Saturday, meaning you have the green light for your outdoor plans through the first half of your Independence Day weekend.

Rain chances begin to rise by the start of next week, thanks in part to the tropics. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) continues to monitor a region off the Carolina coastline for tropical development. Right now, the NHC is giving this area a 50% chance of becoming Tropical Storm Chantal over the next seven days, although any development would likely occur over the weekend. Right now, the budding system doesn’t appear to be a major threat to the Carolinas, although our beaches could see some heavy rain beginning by Sunday morning. It still remains to be seen how far any moisture would move inland; stay tuned for updates as the forecast becomes clearer.

Today: Hot sunshine. Noticeably drier. High: 92°. Wind: NE 5-10.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Mild. Low: 72°. Wind: Light.

Independence Day: Another hot and sunny day. High: 94°. Wind: NE 5-10.

Friday Night: Mostly clear. Low: 72°. Wind: NE 5-10.

Saturday: Hot sunshine continues. High: 91°. Wind: NE 5-15.