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.
We look to get a break from the rain on Wednesday as some slightly drier air works into the area for a spell. It’ll still be plenty hot, though — lows start in the mid-70s away from the warmer coastline to head to the mid-90s in the afternoon as persistent westerly winds delay the seabreeze once again. Expect heat indices in the upper 90s to around 100° with dewpoints suppressed to the upper 60s.
From there, moisture returns to the area and our thunderstorm chances respond in kind as disturbances swing through the trough aloft. There’s a small chance we could deal with a thunderstorm complex in the morning before more thunderstorms fire later Thursday toward peak heating. So it shall be on Friday as well, with a slightly better chance of storms in the afternoon given slightly richer surface dewpoints. A few storms could be on the strong to severe side with damaging wind gusts the main concern. Temperature-wise, expect highs to top out in the mid-90s each day after starting out in the upper 70s. Heat indices will head north of 105° again and could creep toward 110°, so be ready to take heat safety precautions during the afternoons before thunderstorms get going.
