It’s going to be a rather hot weekend in our part of the Lowcountry as high pressure stacks up both at the surface and aloft. This will keep generally drier air aloft in place, but southerly flow at the surface will help keep dewpoints nice and juicy in the mid-70s. Ridging aloft will keep us limited to an isolated storm or two in the afternoons — perhaps a totally rain-free Sunday, even — and so there just won’t be much relief from the heat. Highs will top out in the mid-90s Saturday and the mid-to-upper 90s on Sunday. Heat indices will head between 105-110° on Saturday and could reach or exceed 110° on Sunday, which puts it into post-July 1 heat advisory territory. We won’t get much of a chance to really recover at night, either, as lows bottom out in the mid-70s on Saturday and the upper 70s on Sunday. We will likely not get below 80° this weekend at the beaches and in downtown, either. Suffice to say, if the outdoors are in your plans this weekend, make sure you’ve got access to plenty of hydration and can take breaks in the shade.
Standard August heat and humidity continues for Friday and the weekend, with some storms interspersed in as well. Friday could turn particularly active as a disturbance ripples through aloft and interacts with a nearby stalled front. We start the day in the upper 70s to around 80° before warming to the mid-90s in the afternoon. Mid-70s dewpoints will send heat indices into the 105-110° range once again. From there, we should see numerous thunderstorms begin to develop heading into the evening hours as the aforementioned disturbance approaches along with some seabreeze forcing. A few of these storms could be on the strong side with strong and even damaging wind gusts possible, so keep an ear out for possible Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and be ready to head indoors at a moment’s notice.
We’re back into a more typical summertime pattern over the weekend with highs in the mid-90s and lows in the mid-to-upper 70s each morning, especially on Sunday. Heat indices will once again prove to be an issue, with mid-70s dewpoints combining with the mid-90s heat to produce feels-like temperatures around 105-110° once again. Absent any large-scale features to help organize thunderstorms, we should see scattered storms Saturday afternoon generally along and ahead of the seabreeze, while a little less coverage looks possible on Sunday. Not everyone will see storms, but if you do, be ready to move outdoor activities inside. Remember the old adage: When thunder roars, go indoors.
Heat advisory today from noon to 7PM. Be ready for heat indices 110-115° this afternoon especially along and east of Highway 17, where the highest dewpoints are forecast to pool up.
We’re back to heat and humidity for Thursday as the brief respite of drier air comes to a close. Lows will be rather balmy — upper 70s away from the coast, likely at 80° or above closer to the coast and in Downtown Charleston — as the high temperature heads to the mid-to-upper 90s in the afternoon. Expect heat indices 105-110°, with the warmer heat indices near the coast where the higher dewpoints will be found. NWS notes a heat advisory might be needed; will keep an eye on that.
A few thunderstorms will be possible during the day Thursday as a disturbance moves by to the north. A couple storms could be on the strong side with damaging wind gusts the main concern. Not everyone will see storms, though.
