Weak disturbances cross north of our area today as high pressure manages keeps measurable rainfall to our north. This will result in a sun/cloud mix for our area today with a very small chance of an sprinkle in the mountains this evening. Warmer temps and more humidity are in store through the rest of the week. So we'll start September with humid with highs leaning towards 90. Afternoon showers and storms will threaten each day into the weekend as well. A well advertised cold front will drop by Sunday into Monday. Then cooler, more pleasant conditions are on deck for the short work week next week.

     For the rest of today...we've got calm and dry conditions today courtesy of high pressure over the eastern US. Much warmer temperatures & more humidity are on tap this afternoon as highs reach the upper 80s. More cloud cover will develop this evening and overnight as a few weak disturbances cross north of our area. Patchy fog is likely again overnight with lows in the low 60s.

     Thursday will be hot and hazy. In fact, we'll keep oppressive heat & humidity in the forecast through the weekend. Nights will provide some relief. Meanwhile, lots of moisture will lift north into our area, bringing dew points into the mid/upper 60s. It'll be humid, highs near 90 with a sun/cloud mix during the day. A series of upper level disturbances will cross the southern Great Lakes area towards the end of the week. With all the daytime heating and higher dew points, we'll be vulnerable to scattered afternoon thunderstorms Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

     Then a low pressure system will bring a cold frontal boundary across our area Saturday night & Sunday. We'll likely need the rain gear for our first Mountaineer home game against Marshall. Kickoff is Sunday at 3! Cooler, more pleasant weather is in the cards for the beginning of next week. Then the forecast for much of the eastern US will hinge on what develops with Katia.

     It's another sunny, warm afternoon courtesy of surface high pressure over the eastern US today. Forecast will be dry and not as cool tonight. High pressure ridging will slide east overnight allowing for warmer & more humid air to infiltrate our area from the southwest. We'll see temps leaning towards the upper 80s & a small chance for an afternoon shower or thunderstorm both Wednesday & Thursday. Friday and Saturday are looking generally dry. But warmer temps & higher dew points may trigger a stray afternoon shower or thunderstorm, especially in our mountain counties. We may need the rain gear for kickoff as cold brings rain Saturday night/Sunday.

     For the rest of today...surface high pressure hangs on to make for a sunny day today. Warmer air lifting north with bring slightly warmer temps for today and tonight. Look  for highs today in the low/mid 80s.

     For tonight...not as cool tonight as last night. Lows will be in the mid 50s with some broken clouds moving in after midnight. Light fog will develop in a few spots by Wednesday morning.

     Otherwise, Wednesday will start sunny with temps reaching the mid 80s again. Increasing afternoon/evening clouds are expected ahead of a weak frontal boundary timed for Wednesday night/Thursday. There's a small chance for a few scattered showers & an isolated storm Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon. More humidity and noticeably higher temperatures are in store towards the end of the week.

     We'll see a sun/cloud mix and an isolated afternoon rumble of thunder Friday and Saturday. Then a cold front will send another shot of rain over our area Saturday night & Sunday.

      On the tropical front...the Gulf of Mexico will raise a few eyebrows over the next few days as an area of low pressure brings a chance for storms & several inches of rain to the Texas/Louisiana area. Model guidance is split down the middle as to whether this scenario will be realized...Also another tropical cyclone may threaten the east coast of the US by the middle of next week. Tropical Depression # 12, still out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was upgraded to Tropical Strom Katia last night. Further strengthening is expected in the coming days as she grazes the northern Leeward Islands. Will report of the progress of this storm it develops!

     Nearly 9 inches of rain would be a welcome prospect in Texas...Click to enlarge photo!

     Latest weak weather disturbance slides east & brings scattered clouds & an isolated shower across the Ohio Valley & Mid Atlantic states today & tonight. Otherwise, a few peaks of sunshine will puts temps into the mid 70s, making for just about perfect weather today. We'll get a fall teaser again tonight as a northerly air flow brings cool dry air into the mountains overnight. Lows tonight will fall into the upper 40s/50. Sunny Tuesday with highs in the low 80s. Warmer air lifts north for Wednesday. We may see a few fragmented showers Wednesday night/Thursday. But this week's forecast will stay mostly sunny & dry with highs in the low/mid 80s & cooler nights. Cold front will bring better chance of rain this weekend.

     For the rest of today. Surface high pressure brings sunshine & dry forecast to much of the eastern US in the wake of Irene. A weak disturbance will cross the Ohio Valley today bringing a sun/cloud mix and small chance for an isolated mountain shower this afternoon into tonight. A northerly upper air flow will bring patchy dense fog & temperatures to near 50 tonight with upper 40s in the higher elevations.

     Surface high pressure means Tuesday will be sunny with highs near 80.

     Wednesday will start dry as high pressure gradually slides east. A weak front out of the west will bring more clouds, slight chance of thunder & warmer temperatures to our area Wednesday. Threat for isolated thunder will carry into Thursday. Another frontal boundary will move east timed for this weekend. This will bring a more active weather pattern through the end of the week. At the moment, forcing and dynamics look unimpressive. But we may need rain gear for kickoff Sunday @ 3.

     A look at the extended hints at another tropical system effecting the eastern seaboard towards the middle of next week! Current weather maps initialize this as tropical depression #12. Will report on TD 12 and this weekend's football weather more this week!

Cold front sweeps through our area this afternoon & evening. Mountain showers gradually come to an end later this evening. High pressure on the backside of the front will allow for more calm weather overnight. Slightly cooler & drier air tonight with patchy fog into Friday. Sunshine Friday with highs in the low/mid 80s. Irene will pass east of our area this weekend. We'll see breezy conditions, some cloud cover & a chance for a raindrop late Saturday or Sunday this weekend. Further east, Irene will cause water problems from the Carolinas to Maine over the weekend.

For the rest of today...Some precip still occurring in our mountain counties & in the Eastern Panhandle as the front gets hung up there. Restrengthening is possible with any afternoon storms firing in the east. Flash flood watches have been posted for DC/MD/VA. No watches/warnings are currently active for West Virginia. Behind the front, a northwest air flow will help slightly cooler & drier air to mix into our area overnight. So patchy dense fog development is likely tonight into Friday morning. Lows will be in the low 60s.

High pressure will build in over the southern Great Lakes Friday morning, keeping dry weather & mostly sunny skies in the forecast Friday & Saturday. Temperatures will be on the average for this time of year. Highs will be in the mid 80s.

Irene will pass east of our area over the weekend, tossing some moisture onto our back door in the process. Effects will be significantly limited this far inland. But things will be breezy and folks in the east will likely see periodic rain as bands of moisture expand from Irene's periphery. Folks in and around flood-prone, urban & mountainous areas will need to pay close attention to weekend rainfall amounts & watch for flood problems!

Our forecast through at least the first part of next week looks generally tranquil with average temps.

    Warm front brings more moisture to our area under mostly cloudy skies today. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will spread southeast into our area as early as late-afternoon ahead of a cold front timed to cross our area tonight into early Thursday. We'll gradually dry off with more sunshine & slightly cooler temperatures for the end of the work week. Hurricane Irene will become a major threat to the East Coast & Mid Atlantic states over the weekend, then New England to start next week. Our area will merely see peripheral effects, mainly breezy conditions over the weekend.

    For the rest of today...a few peaks of sunshine will break our afternoon cloud cover allowing for warm air mixing & sunshine to put highs in the mid/upper 80s today. Scattered rain showers & thunderstorms will develop this evening ahead of a cold front timed for tonight & Thursday. Breezy conditions and periods of locally heavy rainfall are also possible tonight. With the cloud cover and warm air mixing, we'll keep overnight temperatures in the upper 60s/low 70s overnight.

    The threat for scattered storms will continue for the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states during the day Thursday. And again, any storms that develop could produce strong gusty winds & heavy rain Thursday. Local rain showers and isolated storms are possible in our mountain counties into mid to late afternoon Thursday. Then that cool frontal boundary will slowly sweep past our area around sunset. Surface high pressure and slightly cooler temperatures in its wake will make for a pleasant end to the workweek. So slightly cooler & drier air with plenty of sunshine is on deck for Friday. Temperatures will top out in the low 80s.

    Our weekend forecast will hinge somewhat on the timing and track of Hurricane Irene. NHC estimates that Irene will continue to strengthen and could become a Category 4 hurricane by week's end. Forecasters predict that Irene will graze Florida's east coast, pass about 70 miles east of Cape Fear & the Outer Banks of NC in the next 76 hours. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Ocracoke Island and the Outer Banks. Current forecasts also place Irene continuing north, into the Mid-Atlantic and New England states over the weekend & into next week. So Irene is a major threat to the Atlantic coastline from Florida to New York. Hurricane/tropical storm force winds, 10+ inches of rainfall and a dangerous storm surge are also possible.

    According to current forecast models, our area, despite Irene's proximity will see very little in the way of effects. Some high cirrus clouds and breezy conditions are possbile. That leaves a generally sunny and mild forecast with highs in the low to mid 80s this weekend. Further east, steady rains over the next 5 days could trigger high water problems. With still plenty of time & opportunity for the track to change, watch for more updates to come!

Check out the 5 day rainfall forecast! Click to enlarge.

****Did you feel that?!***

5.9 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:51 PM EST. The epicenter was 66 miles northwest of Richmond, VA at a depth of 1 kilometer. The activity was felt across much of West Virginia and surrounding areas. Click the USGS website for more info... http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/32.42.-85.-75.php

Many school systems have decided to send their students home.

    High pressure will keep the forecast dry tonight through Wednesday. The next system will approach from the Ohio Valley late Wednesday night into Thursday. Warmer temps & increasing clouds are in store ahead of the front Wednesday. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday night/Thursday with potential for heavy rain in spots. A few leftover showers are possible Friday morning. Irene will pass east of our area, hardly affecting our weekend weather. Eastern West Virginia may see some light rain showers Sunday & Sunday night.

    Northwest air flow kept temperatures on the cool side this morning. Warmer air mixing in during the afternoon will put our high for today around 76. Clear skies are forecast tonight with another cool night on tap. Lows will fall into the mid 50s and patchy valley fog will develop into early Wednesday.

    The forecast will stay dry & warmer during the day Wednesday. Temps will reach the mid/upper 80s. But high pressure will slide east of our area as the day progresses. Increasing clouds are in store Wednesday afternoon & evening ahead of the front. Then scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are likely after midnight into Thursday morning with some periods of heavy rainfall possible. Strong gusty winds are also likely Wednesday night & during the day Thursday.

    The front will be slow to exit our area, leaving the possibility for some light leftover rain showers into Friday morning. Otherwise, tranquil, slightly cooler air & mostly sunny skies return for the end of the week. Forecast will stay sunny Friday afternoon into Saturday. Highs will be in the mid/upper 80s through week's end.

    Some uncertainty still exists towards the end of the extended forecast. Depending on the timing and track of Hurricane Irene, some parts of the Mountain State could see some peripheral affects...Hurricane Irene has been upgraded to a Category 2 and further strengthening is expected later today & Wednesday. Experts predict that Irene will only graze Florida's east coast & make landfall near the Myrtle Beach/Wilmington area as a major hurricane in the next 100 hours. Winds up to 115 MPH and a dangerous storm surge will accompany Irene's landfall over the weekend. More than 12 inches of rain is also possible for parts of coastal Carolinas. Five inches or so is possible for the DC/Baltimore area. Travelers would do well to avoid anything east of I-95 in the coming days.