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The week ahead: Quiet and warm as high pressure dominates

/ August 20, 2023 at 10:32 PM

We have a generally quiet week on tap as high pressure is the dominant weather player across the central and eastern US. It’s going to be warm, especially to start the week as dewpoints in the low-to-mid-70s combine with air temperatures in the mid-90s to yield heat indices around 102° on Monday and 105°+ on Tuesday under partly cloudy skies. A front might allow for a couple storms Wednesday before quiet weather resumes to close out the work week. It’ll be a little “cooler” and drier behind the front — dewpoints in the upper 60s to around 70° and air temperatures in the low 90s will still run above normal, but heat indices should remain in check as drier air mixes down and limits cloud cover. Isolated storm chances return Saturday afternoon, with a better chance of storms on Sunday as another front approaches the area.

Tropical update: Well, that escalated quickly

The Atlantic has gotten quite active in the last day or so. Tropical Depression Six, which was classified on Saturday in the central Atlantic, still does not appear to have much of a road ahead and is forecast to dissipate by Tuesday. Newly-christened Tropical Storm Emily should meet a similar fate as it is forecast to become post-tropical by mid-week, curving off safely into the central Atlantic well away from land. Finally, an area south of the Cabo Verde Islands has a 70% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next week as it generally follows in Emily’s footsteps.

Of the areas of concern on the board, Tropical Storm Franklin is probably the most concerning as far as potential flash flooding impacts on Hispaniola in a few days before it recurves out to sea. And then there is an area in the Gulf which has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next few days as it moves toward south Texas and Mexico. Models aren’t necessarily 100% on board with this firing up yet, though if it does, it might win the race to be named Gert.

2023 storm names. We’ve burned through Arlene, Bret, Cindy, and Don, with Emily and Franklin being active.

Thankfully, there are no current threats to the Lowcountry. (Thank the ridge of high pressure across the central US for that one!)


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