After a wonderful Wednesday of weather, our forecast will turn more
wild on Thursday with lots of heat & humidity and potentially severe
thunderstorms by the afternoon. For tonight, a warm front will cross
our area to bring increasing clouds, more humidity & overnight lows in the low 70s. A
heat advisory is in effect for everyone west of I-79 from noon until 8
PM Thursday as heat indices reach into the lower 100s. You can see all
the heat invading from the Mississippi Valley into Thursday. There is
also a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms Thursday afternoon, especially
across the northern counties of WV as a cold front sweeps across the
Mid Atlantic states. Will keep an eye on the severe potential and
report here as things unfold during the day on Thursday. Primary
threats include heavy rain & damaging winds. As always, hail and
deadly lightning are also possible as the front passes.

A few mountain showers and a rumble of thunder are possible Thursday
night and again during the day on Friday. Temperatures will gradually
sink into the mid/low 80s in time for the weekend. Overall, things
will begin to dry out for Saturday & Sunday. However, we'll have to
keep a small chance for late-day rain/storms over the weekend,
especially across our mountain counties.

Forecast is muggy with a few afternoon thunderstorms as our calendars
land on mid-July already! Partly sunny skies & surface heating will
help our high temps reach into the mid/upper 80s this afternoon.
Disturbances will slowly slide eastward from the Ohio Valley & Great
Lakes to bring scattered thunderstorms to our area by mid to late
afternoon. Looks like some of these storms contain enough moisture to
produce isolated heavy downpours across western & central West
Virginia. As much as 1.5 inches could fall as quickly as 30-45
minutes. This could easily trigger flash flooding along local creeks &
streams into this evening. The NWS has issued a flash flood watch for
counties that have already received several inches of rain since
Friday.

Remember, a flash flood watch means that conditions are right for
flash flooding to occur. You can click on the National Weather Service
logo on the right hand side of the page to see whether the NWS will
upgrade to a warning in your area!

Rain chances will diminish quickly after dark. Look for partly cloudy
skies with overnight lows near 70. For Monday, a few leftover
disturbances will allow a few lingering showers and a rumble of
thunder Monday morning into the afternoon. Highs will reach the upper
80s under mostly sunny skies. The rest of the week looks hot & humid
with highs near 90 along isolated pop up thunderstorms.

Front remains stationary over TN Valley & the Carolinas Thursday to bring
occasional showers & storms to mainly the southern half of WV. Sky
will be a sun/cloud mix with more sunshine to the north. While temps
stay stuck in the mid 80s during the day and fall into the low/mid 60s
at night. Moisture will try to lift north to spread more scattered
showers and maybe a storm across our bow Friday. We'll knock the
temperatures down a peg or two Friday with highs closer to 80. Temps
get bumped back up Saturday & Sunday, closing in on 90 in places. Plan
for periods of rain & thunder for the weekend. Here's the ntaional rainfall estimate for Thursday.

Yesterday was a record breaker across much of the mountain state as
old high temperature records buckled under the heat of the day. Today
is sure to bet another record breaker...Extreme heat & humidity
continues as heat related warnings remain in effect through the
daylight hours. NWS has upgraded from an excessive heat watch to a
warning for nearly all counties west of I 79 today. Temperatures
surpassing the 100 degree mark will result in heat indices above 105!
The Storm Prediction Center has also included our area in the slight
risk for damaging winds for today as that well advertised cold front
slowly presses southward. Another potentially severe day of weather is
in store Sunday as the cold front passes our area. But relief is in
sight as more seasonal temperatures are on tap for next week. Highs
will be in the low to mid 80s and lows may fall into the 50s! More on
that later. Have a safe and happy weekend!