We get a break in the humidity Friday and Saturday as cooler and drier high pressure builds in from the northwest. Temperatures get off to a nice start on Friday, and persistent northeasterly winds will keep highs capped in the mid-80s as cloud cover decreases. Dewpoints, meanwhile, will plummet into the mid-50s, and this will allow relative humidity values to drop below 40%, making for rather comfortable warmth.
Saturday is probably the best day of the set to get outside, as we start the day in the low 60s before heading back to the mid-80s in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies. Dewpoints will again mix out into the mid-50s during the day, and we’ll have another round of sub-40% humidity.
High pressure slips offshore overnight Saturday, and by Sunday dewpoints will be rebounding back into the mid-to-upper 60s. Another front will be approaching the area during the day, and this will be the impetus for showers and thunderstorms as we get later into Sunday and Sunday evening. Highs top out in the mid-80s. Overall, expect temperatures to remain at or a little below normal as we head into next week.
A cold front will slip offshore early Thursday morning, but we won’t quite be feeling it just yet as some showers and thunderstorms will still be possible as moisture lingers across the area during the day Thursday. Highs top out once again in the upper 80s before showers and a few storms fire. Instability isn’t great and severe weather is not expected, though some heavy rain will yet be possible at times. The best chance to see a shower or storm looks to be in the afternoon and early evening hours.
A stalling cold front and a cutoff low aloft will combine to bring shower and storm chances back to the area starting Friday afternoon, peaking on Saturday, and then gradually tapering on Sunday. Highs on Friday top out in the low 90s, with the best chance for showers and thunderstorms generally being found along and ahead of the seabreeze. With the upper low drifting across the area Saturday, showers and thunderstorms could fire at any point, with some guidance hinting at Saturday getting off to a bit of a soggy start as showers and thunderstorms drift inland. Highs on Saturday top out in the mid-to-upper 80s given the rain and cloud cover. We’ll see the upper low lift out of the area on Sunday, decreasing the risk of showers and storms somewhat, but coverage should still be decent given the nearby front.
We have one more rain-free and rather warm day coming up on Thursday. Expect highs to once again top out in the mid-90s under partly cloudy skies, with some humidity mixing in to drive heat indices to the upper 90s to around 100°. It’s worth noting that the NWS forecast high of 95°, if it did indeed come to pass, would tie the daily high temperature record set in 1941 and then tied in 1947 and 2019. (For reference, last year’s high on September 7 topped out a degree shy of the record.) Ridging will weaken throughout the day, but much of us should expect to get the day in rain-free. I don’t know that I’d totally rule out a shower or storm closer to I-95, though.
A nice round of decent and less-humid post-Idalia weather continues for Friday into the weekend. Expect highs in the mid-80s each day as high pressure wedges south into the area, with a string of lows in the mid-60s for the first time since early June expected. It will be comfortable outside — not too humid, not so dry that you need to constantly apply lip balm, either. Expect dewpoints to run in the low 60s for the next few days, yielding relative humidity values around 45-50% at peak heating. Not too shabby at all. The only fly in the ointment will be the potential for coastal flooding with each high tide cycle as winds go to the northeast and remnant water loading from Idalia. We should see minor flooding with the 9:16 PM high tide this evening along with the 9:37 AM high tide on Friday, with moderate flooding expected with Friday evening’s high tide peaking just after 10PM. This will cause some road closures in downtown Charleston, so be ready if you have plans downtown on Friday night. We’ll continue to see at least minor flooding with each high tide cycle this weekend, too, as the northeasterly winds — which are giving us this rather nice start to September — persist. It’s a small price to pay for what will be some of the best air we’ve felt in a while.
As we head into Sunday and Labor Day, Summer will get a proper sendoff with highs topping out closer to the upper 80s but with little appreciable change in dewpoints. Lingering high tides may keep the rip current risk elevated at the beaches, but otherwise, things look good. We stay rain-free, in fact, through Thursday as temperatures head back into the 90s next week. Enjoy!
Alas, Friday and the weekend will bring us back to reality a little bit after a couple fairly nice days for late August. Highs on Friday top back out in the mid-90s under mostly sunny skies as ridging holds on tight for at least one more day, suppressing afternoon thunderstorm chances (and, as such, any chance for relief). Heat indices look to peak around 102° or so — not quite advisory level, but not exactly pumpkin spice weather, either.
Saturday will be even hotter, as air temperatures head up into the upper 90s. Combine this with solidly mid-70s dewpoints and that’ll yield heat indices approaching the heat advisory threshold of 110°. As ridging aloft begins to weaken, the seabreeze may have a slightly easier time popping a storm or two, though coverage will continue to be primarily isolated in nature.
Storm chances tick up fairly decently for Sunday afternoon and evening as a front approaches the area and a trough sets in aloft. It’ll still be hot — expect mid-90s highs before storms kick in — and heat indices could still head north of the 105° danger zone (but should remain shy of advisory thresholds). This will usher in a more active period heading into next week, with rain chances becoming more likely as the aforementioned front stalls and hangs around for a few days.
Drier air moves into the area for Friday, yielding mostly sunny skies and a rain-free day. We start the day in the mid-70s before highs head to the mid-90s in the afternoon. Drier air mixing down from aloft will temper dewpoints somewhat, and this will help to keep heat indices from getting too far out of hand. Still, feels-like temperatures will top out in the mid-to-upper 90s. So, while it’s not going to be cool outside, it’s also not going to feel like it’s 110°. (Take the wins where you can get them.)
Scattered storms head back into the forecast starting Saturday afternoon as a front stalls out nearby and waves of low pressure move along it. Surface dewpoints will head back into the mid-70s, and this will yield heat indices over 100° Saturday afternoon before storms fire. Still, coverage should be scattered at most with ridging aloft creating a bit of capping.
Sunday will run a tad cooler (air temperature-wise, anyway) as surface winds turn more onshore. Expect highs in the upper 80s to around 90° in the afternoon, but heat indices will run around 100°. Scattered showers and some thunderstorms will be embedded within this onshore flow, and will be coming ashore from time to time, but by no means is it a washout as coverage should once again generally be in the scattered category. So, while it’s not the perfect setup for the last weekend before school starts, it won’t be the worst you’ve ever seen, either.
On and off showers and thunderstorms will continue for Thursday as a front remains stalled to our west and deep moisture resides over the area. We start the day in the mid-70s before highs top out around 90° before showers and thunderstorms fire. Once again, storms could pack heavy downpours that could lead to some flooding in a few spots, so be alert to quickly-changing conditions.
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.
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.
