Deliver Us From Humidity

Tropical Storm Alex is expected to make landfall around Corpus Christi, TX in the next three days. Heavy winds and strong surf will create more problems for the Gulf cleanup crew. Meanwhile the next week of weather is shaping up to be…a little too nice if you ask me! Folks across much of the eastern U.S. will have to water their precious gardens by hand through the holiday weekend. And with all the drunken idiots running around with lit fireworks this weekend, fire hazard warnings will begin to pop up across the board.

We’ve also got much cooler temps on tap for the short term. A steep trough of cool Canadian air will deliver us from the humidity. Daytime highs will peak in the mid to upper 70s, while nighttime temps will dip into the low 50s through Friday. Of course, folks out west will feel the upswing as ridging pulls tropical air into most of the western U.S. over the next few days. They’re looking at extremely dry and hot conditions through the holiday weekend.

Things will gradually even out. We’ll see the return of warmer temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s by Independence Day. By then rain will be a distant memory. Try not to shrivel up and wither away before the next rain! And watch where you’re pointing those fireworks!

Where's The Hail?

A few popup thunderstorms kept things interesting this week! Intense lightning and strong winds don’t exactly make for a relaxing afternoon. But why should we let the Midwest have all the severe weather while we are left with drizzle and some ponding on roadways? I’m still holding out for a real badass thunderstorm complete with hail. Only then will it truly be summertime.

We’ll pick up more rain showers and a few scattered thunderstorms across the state today as a quick upper level disturbance blasts through the Great Lakes region. Although the main cluster of storms should stay well to our north, we’ll still see some breezy conditions with the pressure gradient, some needed precipitation and a few odd thunderclaps. Look for highs today to reach the mid to upper 80s.

That weather should depart early Friday morning. That will set the stage for another weekend of sunny & calm conditions with temperatures touching the low 90s. With mint conditions on deck for Friday, Saturday and Sunday my job will mostly involve rubbing sunscreen on the backs of pretty ladies for the better part of the weekend! We may see a few isolated showers and storms Sunday afternoon and evening. But hey, by then we’re just sitting around waiting for the workweek to start over again. Speaking of work…Looks like more rain is on tap for Monday of next week, so enjoy the weekend!

Zenith

High pressure remains in control to kick off this first day of summer. That means a dry forecast with plenty of sunshine and temps in the upper 80s and low 90s. Nights will stay mild and calm with temps in the 60s. We’ll begin to see more of a sun/cloud mix sometime on Tuesday. We may see a few popup thundershowers Tuesday and Wednesday. But the next real chance of rain will come Thursday into Friday. An upper level disturbance will swing down from somewhere over the Great Lakes, stall briefly over our region before departing early Friday. This will allow broad high pressure to move in and clear out any remaining moisture, leaving a clear and calm weekend forecast. More details Later!

Today is summer solstice, longest day of the year (not just because it's Monday).

High & Dry

Although we’ve managed to escape much of the hazardous weather here in north central WV, it’s been a busy week for some. Many communities in the southern part of the state have had to contend with heavy rain, hail, downed trees, flooding and lots of lightning. Things will begin to get back to normal as folks across the mountain state begin clean up today. We still may pick up a few showers today as a cold front passes from our west. There’s also the slight risk of thunderstorms developing across north central West Virginia today. So although that risk remains low, be on guard for an isolated storm and periods of heavy rain and strong winds through tonight. Temperatures will still touch the mid 80s today. Cold fronts during this time of year don’t always mean cooler temperatures for us. Look for clearing skies with temps in the low 60s overnight, into Thursday morning.

High pressure will begin to take hold early Thursday. And although we may see some patchy morning fog, Thursday will turn out to be sunny and dry with temps in the low 80s. Thursday night looks clear and calm with lows in the mid 50s. In fact, we’ve got a few clear and calm nights on deck. We’ll see overnight lows in the upper 50s and low 60s though this weekend.

The high pressure that I mentioned is on deck for Thursday will stick around for Friday and will make for a nice Father’s Day weekend. So the forecast is high and dry! Relative humidity levels will drop, so the air will feel more comfortable than it has over the past week. Friday will be sunny with highs in the upper 80s. Saturday will be mostly sunny with highs in the 90s! But all that sunshine could heat things up just enough to squeeze out an isolated thunderstorm late Saturday. Make plans anyway! Even if there IS enough moisture in the air for a storm this weekend, we’ll have more than enough sunshine to get out and enjoy the weekend. A sun & cloud mix with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s is on tap Sunday through Tuesday… If you’re looking for Father’s Day gift ideas, go out and buy dad a hammock this year. Set it up in the yard for him. Then give him a drink and watch him fall asleep and get a sunburn! He'll thank you for it!

Smooth Sailin'

High pressure has already swept a good deal of moisture from that disturbance yesterday off to the northeast. Winds calmed down and dense fog was able to settle in around most low-lying waterways and hollows. We will likely have another foggy morning Friday. Otherwise it’s smooth sailing over the next few days. Although things stay hot and humid, we’ve got a mainly dry forecast on tap through the first half of this weekend.

Abundant sunshine and a southwest air flow will help temperatures statewide will reach the low to mid 80s today. Expect another cool, clear and calm night tonight. But get ready to enjoy a few warmer days…AND warmer nights. We’re shooting for upper 80s/low 90s across the mountain state Friday. We’ll see a few clouds from our west on Friday, but again things stay dry until a few upper level disturbances pass late Saturday.

Saturday will begin dry and calm. Lots of sunshine will allow convective building Saturday afternoon. With that low pressure mass on track for Saturday, we’ll pick up a few rain showers and an isolated thunderstorm Saturday evening. Then expect mostly cloudy skies and muggy conditions Sunday through the first part of next week. The air will stay saturated. We’ll subsequently see chance rain showers and a few isolated thunderstorms from Sunday through the better part of next week. Plenty of cloud cover should keep daytime temps reasonable. However the nights will feel uncomfortable as clouds prevent enough heat from escaping to thwart the chance for cool air to replace the heat from the day. With solstice just around the corner, expect longer days and more warm nights!

Wheel In The Sky

We’ve got plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures on tap for Tuesday. Warm front moves through the region today. Otherwise, there’s not much to talk about for north central West Virginia. Attention will turn to a strong low pressure system with lots of moisture energizing in the Midwest. This system, on a fast track to your back yard will bring heavy downpours and thunderstorms late tonight and Wednesday. We could potentially see some flash flooding problems developing with that storm which will contain several waves of heavy downpours. Luckily that system will roll quickly across the region. So hopefully less rainfall will be realized depending on the speed of the actual front. Nonetheless look for breezy conditions and periods of rain to last for much of the day Wednesday.

High pressure will move in overnight and push that messy low pressure system northeastward towards the Atlantic coast. With winds becoming quite calm overnight Wednesday/Thursday, we may have a foggy start to our Thursday. An early morning June sunrise will burn any lingering moisture off leaving another calm and sunny day on Thursday.

Temperatures will gradually begin to tip the scales again. We’ll see abundant sunshine and low 80s Thursday. A few clouds roll in Friday. Temps reach the mid 80s. We’ll see a few peaks of sunshine and temps in the upper 80s Saturday. Plan on a few isolated showers and thunderstorms this weekend.

Lots of hot air

Hazy Hot & Humid

Hazy, hot and humid conditions continue today. Highs will reach the upper 80s with dew points maintaining the mid to upper 60s. Relative humidity values will also continue to reach the high end of the spectrum. So things will stay muggy. Upper level disturbances will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to our area over the weekend. Things will gradually dry out on Monday and some cooler air will begin to settle in as we get back to work on Monday.

Not much on the radar this morning. We could see a few isolated thunderstorms today although most of the convective potential will stay further south, around Huntington & Charleston through this evening. The possibility of precipitation will increase early Saturday morning as the next wave of upper air disturbances passes over the Great Lakes this weekend. It is difficult to pinpoint the timing and location of each disturbance. Some weather models tend to push the front further south. So depending on the exact track of the front, central and southern counties could see few (or no rain) showers.

The main front will begin to move northeast on Saturday. But we’ll still see abundant moisture from that system on Saturday night and Sunday. Again, rain showers and a few thunderstorms will initially be confined to the northernmost counties until perhaps mid-morning when showers will break out across the northern half of the state. Subsequently, heavier rainfall totals will be measured in the northern counties. While less and less rainfall will be realized in the southernmost counties this weekend.

Temperatures this weekend will continue to reach the mid to upper 80s. As low pressure unfurls across the Great Lakes and the eastern U.S. this weekend another brief wave of moisture is ushered in for Monday afternoon and evening. High pressure and slightly cooler air will build into the area briefly on Tuesday.

Thunderhead

A few leftover rain showers continue today. Weak high pressure will move in and gradually turn off the waterworks by evening. Temps today will reach the lower 80s. We’ll stay dry overnight with temps reaching the low 60s and upper 50s. A calm overnight with not much in the way of cloud cover will allow fog to creep into the valleys and around waterways tomorrow morning. Once that burns off, Wednesday looks mostly sunny and dry with temps again reaching the low to mid 80s. Low pressure cold front will swing down from the Great Lakes early Thursday morning. Ahead of the front, a line of rain showers and thunderstorms arrive Wednesday night/Thursday. Rainy Thursday with temps in the low 80s. Depending on the speed of the front, flash-flooding may become a concern especially in the mountain counties where creeks and drainage systems have already drawn some attention. Friday remains dry for now, with temps in the upper 70/low 80s. A generally rainy weekend is in the cards. Check for updates later this week. I’ll try to dry things out. Enjoy the short work week!