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Author: Jared Smith

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.

The week ahead: Unsettled to start, warming up by the weekend

/ July 18, 2021 at 10:52 PM

We’ll be getting this work week off to a wet start. Showers and thunderstorms will be commonplace as upper level energy combines with a stalling surface front and copious amounts of atmospheric moisture especially Monday afternoon into Tuesday. Heavy rain is certainly a concern, and we will want to monitor the risk for sporadic freshwater flooding episodes closely. Clouds and rain look to keep highs down into the mid-to-upper 80s, a few degrees below normal for this point in July.

As we get into Wednesday, we begin to see this soggier pattern break down and a more standard summertime regime returning to the area. We are back in the 90s by Thursday with more scattered coverage of showers and thunderstorms primarily in the afternoons heading into the weekend.

Thunderstorms becoming numerous through this evening

/ at 2:50 PM

Radar is active this afternoon with two distinct areas of thunderstorms that look to merge over the next hour, potentially bringing storms further eastward toward the coast this evening. The first area is situated across the inland-moving seabreeze, which roughly sets from Ridgeville through Moncks Corner to Jamestown. Along this line, we’ve seen hail to the size of pennies reported in Summerville with a risk of strong wind gusts approaching 55 MPH. The second area to watch is coming in from the west, aided by a mid-level impulse and riding a fairly potent outflow boundary. This outflow boundary looks to collide with the seabreeze over the next hour, sparking up additional thunderstorms especially to the southwest of the area and across the Santee Cooper lakes. Damaging wind gusts and large hail can’t be ruled out as the two boundaries collide. The resulting thunderstorm complex should continue to head eastward as the afternoon goes on, with thunderstorms likely reaching the coast by early evening.

Remember: When thunder roars, go indoors! Every thunderstorm is dangerous due to the lightning it produces.

Showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon with periods of heavy rain possible

/ at 8:11 AM

We’re starting today with partly cloudy skies and muggy temperatures in the mid-70s. This will give way to 90s ahead of the seabreeze this afternoon; heat indices will push 100° with low 70s surface dewpoints in place. Showers and thunderstorms will fire on the seabreeze possibly as soon as noon-1pm, which could portend some rainfall or lightning concerns at area beaches early this afternoon. The seabreeze will then make its usual daily inland trek, bringing the risk for showers and thunderstorms more inland with time. This will happen as a mid-level disturbance moves into the area, which will enhance the coverage of showers and thunderstorms today into tonight. Some areas of heavy rain are certainly possible, with the high-resolution model ensemble painting a 10% chance of 3″ of rain in 3 hours across the entire coastal plain. This could lead to isolated bouts of flooding, so we’ll want to watch this closely throughout the day.

Rain chances will continue overnight into Monday, with the risk for heavy rain continuing throughout the day Monday. More on that later today as we get the daytime guidance package in.

Standard July weather for the weekend ahead of a pattern change

/ July 16, 2021 at 9:19 PM

We’ve got more of the same July weather in store for the weekend. Heat and humidity will continue across the Lowcountry as highs top out in the low 90s each afternoon. Heat indices will approach 100° with the humidity in place, so be sure to watch your exertion during the peak of the afternoon heat.

Much like the last few days, we’ll see isolated showers and thunderstorms initiate on the seabreeze and move inland on Saturday. The pattern begins to change up on Sunday as a cold front begins to approach the area. Rain chances increase later in the day, and if the convection-allowing models are correct, it could be a somewhat stormy Sunday night. We’ll want to watch that trend, but overall, I hope you can enjoy a good weekend for summer activities across the area.

Friday and the weekend: More of the same ahead of a pattern change

/ July 15, 2021 at 8:22 PM

Atlantic high pressure and ridging aloft remains in control of our weather for a few more days before a pattern change greets us with increased chances for showers and thunderstorms for the new work week.

Temperatures through the weekend will top out in the low 90s each afternoon, but low-to-mid-70s surface dewpoints will make it feel a little closer to 100°. We’ll see the standard mid-July isolated to scattered coverage of showers and thunderstorms ahead of the inland-advancing seabreeze each afternoon. You can never totally rule out a strong wind gust or two to cause problems with any summertime thunderstorm, but the risk for severe weather looks quite low. This setup should yield a few good, if not hot, beach days — pretty much exactly what we should expect this time of year.

Yet another standard July day upcoming: Isolated PM storms and 90s

/ at 8:27 AM

We’re in full-blown Command-C/Command-V mode here at @chswx HQ this week, as one would typically expect in a Charleston summer: Highs in the low 90s with isolated afternoon thunderstorms expected. This forecast is right on the dot with mid-July climatology, and there’s really not too much else to write home about.

If you’re headed to the beaches or out on the water this morning, there is the risk of a waterspout underneath any tall cumulus towers, and there will be a persistent rip current risk all day. These are the only caveats — mind these and you’ll be in good shape.

Typical July weather continues through the rest of the work week

/ July 13, 2021 at 9:16 PM

The work week rolls on with pretty standard July weather as we remain under the influence of Atlantic high pressure. We’ll stay warm and muggy with lows in the low to mid-70s away from the coastal communities (where lows likely won’t dip below 80°). Highs each afternoon will continue to top out around 90-91° — right around where we should be for this time of year. Rain chances come down a touch on Friday, with mostly sunny skies currently expected.

Overall, brief heavy rain will be possible within any thunderstorms, though storms today did show a propensity to train a bit, with 2″ of rain recorded at a gauge in Mt. Pleasant within a persistent round of thunderstorms earlier today. The strongest storms could produce sporadic wind damage, but widespread severe weather is not in the forecast by any stretch.

Rain chances stay around normal for July heading into the weekend before ramping up a bit as we get into next week.

Tuesday: Typical summertime warmth, humidity, and scattered storms

/ July 12, 2021 at 6:36 PM

Another rather normal July day is in store for Tuesday. Expect a muggy start with lows in the mid-70s heading toward a high of around 90° in the afternoon. Like today, scattered showers and thunderstorms will factor into the weather picture possibly right out of the gate in the morning near the coast. This scattered storm risk progresses inland during the day with the seabreeze, leaving rain-free conditions in many spots by evening.

Heat indices will peak in the mid-90s in the afternoon, particularly around seabreeze passage as dewpoints surge in its wake, so be aware if you’re working outside around this time.

The week ahead: Settling into a standard summertime pattern

/ July 11, 2021 at 10:41 PM

For the first time in three weeks, we do not have any concerns about a tropical cyclone influencing our forecast. Hooray! We’ll have a much more typical July week of weather ahead featuring temperatures around 90° each afternoon and a chance for isolated to scattered storms pretty much each day, mostly in the afternoons (though Monday could get started and end a little earlier). The only severe weather that might occur this week would be where thunderstorm outflow boundaries interact and enhance lift, perhaps bringing a brief damaging wind threat via downburst winds. Atlantic high pressure building across the area will otherwise put a lid on more widespread shower and thunderstorm activity.

Southerly winds around the high will give us a little bit of an onshore component to the wind, which will help regulate temperatures to near normal levels. We won’t be able to escape the 70s dewpoints, though, so be ready for heat indices in the upper 90s to near 100°, especially around the time the seabreeze circulation passes your location.

Friday & the weekend: Tropical moisture lingers

/ July 8, 2021 at 10:08 PM

A little more normal July weather greets us for Friday and the weekend. Temperatures will run in the low 90s each day; humidity will push heat indices into the low 100s. We’ll see isolated to scattered showers and storms each afternoon as daytime heating and a little residual upper energy combine to fire off convection across the area. Isolated areas of heavy rain will be possible. Severe weather looks unlikely, but a couple wet microbursts can’t be ruled out where outflow boundaries collide. (At least it’s not a tropical storm.)