Jared Smith founded @chswx on Twitter in 2008 as an experiment in disseminating weather data through social media. In the ensuing decade-and-a-half, @chswx has provided live coverage of tropical cyclones, tornadoes, severe weather, and even a couple bouts of winter weather to the good people of Charleston, SC.
Today will have a really summer-like feel to it. We’ll see isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area pretty much all day, with the best risk closer to the coast (and Charleston proper) beginning late morning into early afternoon, then steadily moving inland with time. Not everyone sees rain today, but a brief downpour can’t be ruled out pretty much anywhere.
Temperatures will top out in the mid-80s. Factor in dewpoints in the low 70s and that will yield heat indices in the low 90s. Not terribly oppressive by Charleston standards (or even abnormal, really), but yes, it gets to wear on you by mid-September.
Dewpoints are headed up, and that will bring along a slight chance of thunderstorms for Tuesday afternoon, primarily along and ahead of the seabreeze boundary as it moves inland. We’ll start the day in the low 70s across much of the area before temperatures head into the mid-80s in the afternoon. It won’t be sweltering, but it won’t exactly be fall-like, either.
It’s worth noting that we could see some patchy fog in spots tomorrow morning. Be ready for sudden changes in visibility during the commute, and don’t forget the low beams if you do encounter fog.
After a really nice weekend across the Lowcountry, we’ll get one more day of low humidity for Monday before high pressure weakens and retreats eastward, bringing back a more summer-like feel to the forecast (sans 90° temperatures, at least). Slight storm chances begin Tuesday afternoon, with more scattered coverage expected each afternoon through the weekend. Temperatures look to remain generally in the mid-to-upper 80s each afternoon, with lows rising into the low to mid-70s starting Tuesday.
We have a soggy Thursday coming up as Tropical Storm Mindy, which was named and made landfall on the Florida Panhandle in the space of four hours earlier this evening, moves to our south, bringing along a tropical airmass that will help squeeze out quite a bit of rain particularly in the morning. High tide at 10:19 AM will be of particular interest as high-resolution models strongly suggest that heavy rain will be in the area ahead of and around that time. This could spell a flooding concern for downtown Charleston depending on where the heaviest rain sets up. Be cautious during tomorrow morning’s commute, and be ready to use alternate routes.
The heaviest rain will fall in the morning, but there will be the risk of showers and thunderstorms through the evening as a cold front will move through the area. Once that front’s through, though, we’ll be set up for a nice weekend. Meanwhile, Mindy will be shooed away from the area along the aforementioned cold front, and there are no additional tropical concerns of note for now.
Temperatures will top out just in the low 80s thanks to the prevalent cloud cover and rainfall, well below early September norms. As we head into Friday and the weekend, temperatures will continue to run a little below normal — another taste of fall as we head deeper into September.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will once again figure into the forecast for Wednesday. An approaching cold front as well as some upper-level help in the form of a trough will contribute to scattered to numerous storms in the afternoon and evening hours. Brief bouts of heavy rain will be possible, and a few storms could get gusty, but severe weather appears unlikely.
We’ll get off to another muggy start with mid-70s lows. Expect mid to upper 80s until storms get going in the afternoon. Mix in the humidity and it will feel closer to the upper 90s.
Finally, we will want to keep an eye on water levels around the 10:12 PM high tide for the potential for some minor salt water flooding as water levels could get near 7’. We might have some rain in the area around that time, too. Thus, time of high tide will merit close watch.
Warmth and humidity continue their return to the weather picture for the rest of this work week. We’ll see temperatures at or a little above normal as more tropical air works back into the area, increasing the risk for a few showers and thunderstorms each afternoon. A disturbance in the Gulf — which has a low (30%) chance of becoming a tropical cyclone over the next few days — could help to enhance rainfall across the area as it moves northeast across parts of Florida and Georgia later this week. By Friday, though, we begin to see a little cooler and drier high pressure move into the area from the north, helping to put the kibosh on more substantial rain chances heading into the weekend.
There will also be a risk for minor coastal flooding especially as we head later into the week as winds look to turn a little more onshore. We will be close each evening for the next few evenings, so keep an ear out for possible Coastal Flood Advisories from the National Weather Service.
You can likely already feel it in the air — drier air has filtered into the area today, and it feels so much better outside already after a really humid August. A stretch of nice weather will ensue, with temperatures running a little below normal for Friday and Saturday. Lows in the mid-to-upper 60s will feel pretty good, for sure, and we’ll top out in the mid-80s Friday & Saturday. Temperatures moderate a bit higher on Sunday, with dewpoints creeping up as well. Humidity does make a comeback for Monday with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms, but all in all, the vast majority of us will stay dry this Labor Day weekend. Hope you can take advantage!
A cold front pushing south across the area is ushering in some lower dewpoints this morning, especially further north and west, making outdoors a little bit more comfortable today than we’ve seen in the recent past. We’ll stay warm with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s, but the gradual decrease in humidity throughout the day will make it more bearable. Another shot of drier air pushes in overnight, and tomorrow’s weather looks even better. Enjoy!
We start meteorological fall on a wet note. A cold front will drive southward across the area Wednesday into Wednesday night, and that will trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms as it pushes through and eventually stalls to our south. Behind the front, we will see some rather refreshing cooler and drier air begin to filter into the area. Dewpoints will drop starting Thursday, and by Friday, they should be in the mid-60s as opposed to the mid-70s. It will feel a lot more comfortable, that’s for sure, especially after a pretty muggy August.