Record highs return soon

It has been a real roller coaster of a week, weather wise. After a cold start to the week, we are once again ending things with near-record high temperatures. While Thursday won’t be record-breaking, it will be warm with highs near 80 in the Piedmont, and close to 70 in the High Country. We also can’t rule out a stray shower, especially in the High Country, but the vast majority of us stay completely dry. By Friday, we turn the heaters up and records are likely to be broken. Highs in the Piedmont will only be a degree or two below 90, which will easily break the old daily high record of 85 in the Queen City,

Once again, change arrives by Friday night as a cold front approaches from the north. A few showers are possible with this front. However, the much bigger story will be the temperature drop behind the front. By Saturday morning, we are back to the 40s and highs only climb into the 60s. The good news for warm weather fans is this cooldown will be brief as temperatures climb daily from here until we once again hit the 80s by the middle of next week.

The sunny weather is welcome for outdoor activities, but it comes with the big drawbacks of worsening drought, pollen, and fire weather concerns. As many of you can already tell, we are entering the peak of tree pollen season, which is only exacerbated by the lack of rain to wash it away. This lack of rain is also increasing the risk of wild and brush fires. So make sure to use extreme caution when doing any burning, especially on Friday as winds will pick up.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low: 52°. Wind: Calm

Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 80°. Wind: SW 5-10

Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Low: 65°. Wind: SW 5-10

Friday: Mostly Sunny. High 89°. Wind: SW 10-20