The pressure gradient between high pressure to the north and Imelda to the southeast will be tightening on Tuesday, and we should have a fairly breezy and seasonably cool day once again thanks to those northeast winds as well as cloud cover and a few lingering showers. Temperatures start around 70°, but should only warm to the upper 70s to maybe 80° depending on breaks in the clouds. The decaying coastal front will still be able to contribute to a few showers, but we should see shower chances diminish as we get through Tuesday and Imelda pulls further and further offshore.

There’s a chance that we could see some minor tidal flooding Tuesday afternoon courtesy of elevated water levels due to the onshore, northeasterly flow. The better chances for coastal flooding will begin Wednesday, though, and may be with us for a little bit as we head toward a full moon next week.

Sunday should feature another round of showers and storms, most likely in the afternoon, as a front in the vicinity starts to retrograde westward a bit courtesy of TD Nine (which should soon get the name Imelda; it hasn’t yet as of this writing). Temperatures will be near if not slightly cooler than normal once again Sunday with the prevalence of cloud cover (especially in the afternoon) and the slightly cooler and drier airmass behind the front. We start the day in the upper 60s in the metro to the low 70s at the coast, warming to the low to mid-80s in the afternoon before scattered showers and storms kick back up. From there, we will see several more days of inclement weather courtesy of the approaching tropical cyclone.

I’ll have a more detailed post specific to the tropics a little later this evening once we have the new track and intensity forecast in hand.

After hitting 91° on Wednesday, we look to take another trip to the 90s on Thursday as ridging aloft combines with Atlantic high pressure to keep us well on the warm side of normal for another day. Temperatures start in the low to mid-70s, well above normal for this point in the year, warming to the 90s in the afternoon with heat indices making it feel more like the mid-90s. We could see a stray shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening along and ahead of the seabreeze, but most of us should stay dry.

A warming trend begins Tuesday as high pressure to the north continues to weaken and winds turn more onshore, ushering in a much more summer-like feel over the next few days. Temperatures Tuesday start in the upper 60s to around 70°, warming to the mid-80s in the afternoon with a mix of sun and clouds. Factor in the upper 60s-lower 70s dewpoints and it’ll feel more like 90°. Like we saw on Monday, a few afternoon showers are possible, though the weakening high also will portend a weakening coastal trough, which should keep the risk for showers relatively low.

Another warm day is ahead for Thursday as high pressure generally remains in control with winds coming a bit more out of the west and southwest. Temperatures Thursday start much warmer than they did on Wednesday, with lows in the upper 60s to around 70° expected. We’ll warm to the mid-to-upper 80s in the afternoon under generally partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or storm is possible well inland, but the vast, vast majority of us will stay rain-free.

There’s not too much to write home about weather-wise for Tuesday other than it will be a really nice mid-September day across the Lowcountry. Below-normal temperatures continue, with lows in the low 60s warming to the low 80s in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies. Dewpoints mix down to the mid-50s in the afternoon, making the warmth comfortable. Plus, water levels will fall short of flood stage Tuesday as we get further away from the full moon and the recent perigee, so there are no coastal flooding concerns for the rest of the week, either.

Thursday will run a bit on the cloudy side, but we’ll still see some peeks of sun at times to allow temperatures to warm from the mid-60s in the morning to the mid-80s in the afternoon. Northeasterly winds persist, keeping dewpoints relatively low and the air comfortably warm as a result. We will continue to contend with some salt water flooding around the midday high tide, which could close a few roads for those of us headed for an early lunch downtown.

Another quiet weather day is ahead as high pressure wedges across the area from the northeast. Expect a mix of sun and clouds with comfortable temperatures. We start the day in the mid-60s, warming to about 80° in the afternoon. It’ll be a bit breezy, with winds gusting around 15-20 MPH especially near the coast. These northeasterly winds will continue to drive tidal departures in Charleston Harbor above flood stage, and we should see minor to moderate flooding with the 9:35 AM high tide. Some flooding may have impacts on the tail end of the commute, so be prepared for delays if downtown is your destination.

After a few welcome rain-free days, shower and storm chances return to the forecast for Sunday as a cold front moves into the area. We’ll start the day in the low 70s, working our way into the upper 80s in the afternoon before showers and storms kick off. Some rain could be heavy at times, and lightning may be an issue particularly inland where some stronger storms may be possible. It won’t be an all-day rainout, thankfully, but you’ll want to have your indoor plans ready to go if thunderstorms approach.

Isolated salt water flooding may also be a concern around the 7:47 PM high tide. The current total water level forecast brings the tide right to around 7′, which may be enough to cause a little flooding on the most vulnerable roads in downtown Charleston. The risk for coastal flooding around times of high tide increase throughout the first part of the week with the combination of the full moon, lunar perigee, and northeasterly winds in the wake of Sunday’s front, so stay tuned for Coastal Flood Advisories from the National Weather Service.

We’ll start to turn a little warmer on Thursday as high pressure to the northeast breaks down a bit, but we should still get one more good day of low humidity in before we start to see dewpoints begin to climb back toward 70° starting Friday. Temperatures on Thursday start quite comfortably once again, with mid-60s the general rule across much of the area. We’ll warm to the upper 80s on Thursday afternoon with plenty of sunshine. The only fly in the ointment may be some very minor coastal flooding around the 6:19 PM high tide, with water levels currently forecast just below 7′. If water levels trend a little higher, a Coastal Flood Advisory may be issued. Otherwise, though, it’ll be another really nice early September day in the Lowcountry.