Dangerous heat ahead
Heat index values will approach 110° in the afternoons between Saturday and Wednesday.
We hope you enjoyed the “cooler” and drier weather on Wednesday, because summer surges back stronger than ever this weekend. Highs top out in the mid-to-lower 90s around the Metro once again this Thursday afternoon, but the return of oppressive humidity will make things feel much worse compared to yesterday, and it only gets hotter from here. Expect afternoon temperatures to find their way into the upper 90s across the Piedmont and Foothills for the final day of the workweek; heat index values will approach 105° in many spots.
The heat becomes downright dangerous as we head into the weekend. Highs will top out near 100° in the Queen City on Saturday as a powerful heat dome settles upon the Carolinas and the Southeast. This may begin the hottest stretch we’ve seen in nearly 40 years. We have five-straight days at or above 100° in the forecast for Charlotte between Saturday and Wednesday; this has happened only once in recorded history (July 1986). Heat index values will regularly approach 110° or hotter around the Metro and southeastward within this timeframe. Medium-range models suggest a cold front puts us out of our misery by the end of next week, but for now, dangerous – possibly deadly – heat will be the norm.
Today: Variable clouds with a stray storm or two in the afternoon. High: 94°. Wind: E 5-10.
Tonight: A stray storm or two early, then mostly clear. Low: 75°. Wind: Light.
Friday: Mostly sunny with a stray storm. Hot. High: 97°. Wind: SW 5-10.
Friday Night: A stray storm early, then mostly clear. Low: 75°. Wind: SW 5-10.
Saturday: Dangerously hot. PM stray storm? High: 100°. Wind: W 5-10.
