High pressure at the surface and aloft remain the main weather drivers heading into Tuesday, keeping us on the warm and humid side. We’ll start the day in the low-to-mid-70s, warming to around 90° in the afternoon. A weakening front to the north could kick up some stray showers generally for inland Berkeley, but the ridge aloft will likely keep a lid on more robust thunderstorm development. A similar setup will persist Wednesday before the ridge flattens out a bit, allowing for more shower and thunderstorm development getting into late week.
Another comfortably warm day lies ahead for Thursday as high pressure at the surface and aloft remain the dominant weather features. Temperatures will once again start well on the cool side of normal for this time of year, bottoming out in the upper 50s away from the coast. We’ll warm to the mid-80s in the afternoon, but low-50s dewpoints will help not to make it feel terribly uncomfortable.
We should see another scattering of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday in association with a cold front that will make for a rather nice second half of the work week. Temperatures will start in the mid-to-upper 60s, warming to just about 80° in the afternoon as the front pushes further southward and drier air begins to find its way in. Dewpoints should fall nicely late Tuesday into Wednesday, setting up a stretch of spring-like conditions through Friday.
Heat peaks Thursday before scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms fire along the seabreeze in the afternoon. From there, a cold front sags southward across the area, and keeps shower and storm chances going through Thursday night. We’ll start the day on the warm side with lows in the mid-70s. More westerly winds will keep things a bit drier to start the day, but these winds will help enhance convergence along the seabreeze for those aforementioned showers and thunderstorms as we get into the afternoon. Before thunderstorms begin to disrupt the temperature curve, highs will peak in the low 90s, and heat indices will easily run in the mid-90s, perhaps getting closer to 100° than we’d like in the Highway 17 corridor.
Severe thunderstorms aren’t expected, but some gusty winds can’t be ruled out. There’s plenty of available moisture for a lot of rain to fall in a short period in a few spots, too, but not everyone will see a downpour. However, it seems probable that most of us should be able to measure precipitation by Friday morning.
Showers and maybe a few thunderstorms will continue to be in play for the forecast as we get into the midpoint of the long Memorial Day weekend, though the greater activity will continue to be found along and west of the I-95 corridor. For Sunday, we can expect the bulk of our activity likely during the morning and early afternoon hours before the seabreeze pushes inland and takes most of the activity with it. However, showers will be possible throughout the day, so be ready to move outdoor plans inside just in case a shower or thunderstorm approaches.
After another day in the upper 80s on Wednesday — just missing 90° by a couple degrees at the airport — we should turn even a little warmer for Thursday with plenty of sunshine to be had. It’ll be a bit of a balmy day in general as lows in the upper 60s warm to the low 90s in the afternoon. Mid-60s dewpoints will keep the heat index in check, though it may feel a tick or two warmer than the air temperature.
More sunshine is in the offing for Tuesday with high pressure in continued control of our weather. The air will have a bit of an early summer feel to it with lows bottoming out in the mid-60s, warming to the upper 80s and perhaps approaching 90° in the afternoon. Dewpoints will mix down to the mid-60s in the afternoon, so while it won’t be excruciatingly humid, there will definitely be a bit more heaviness to the air, so to speak.
A cold front will swing through early Thursday with high pressure to build in behind it. Temperatures will start in the low 60s, warming to the low-to-mid-80s in the afternoon with northwesterly winds around 10 MPH. The downslope flow will dry out the atmosphere pretty nicely, allowing for mostly sunny skies with maybe a few fair weather clouds. The drier air will make the 80s highs feel a little more comfortable, too. Overall, it’s a good day to try to get some sunshine in the midst of the daily grind.
High pressure nudging in from the north will keep cloud cover in place and cool us off a bit for Tuesday after the third 90° day of the year on Monday. We’ll start the day in the upper 50s, warming to about the mid-70s given the expected cloud cover. A shower could get close to far southern Charleston County during the day, but most of us should stay rain-free.
High pressure will remain in control on Thursday, keeping mostly sunny skies in place. It won’t be all sunshine, though, as smoke from nearby wildfires in Georgia drifts into the area, which could have negative impacts on air quality. An Air Quality Alert is in effect for the Lowcountry through Thursday evening as a result; people who have sensitivities to poor air quality should limit time outdoors. Temperatures will take another step up as southwesterly winds help pump in warmer air; expect lows in the mid-50s to warm to the mid-to-upper 80s in the afternoon.
