Cooler-than-normal temperatures continue this weekend, but the cost is continued rounds of showers and thunderstorms as moisture overruns a stationary front to the south and a trough of low pressure develops aloft.

The heat wave that brought July to a close has ended courtesy of an incoming front, which will help cool things off (finally!) this weekend as the front moves through early Saturday. However, that comes at the cost of the risk for numerous showers and thunderstorms that could produce flooding rains. The risk will continue to increase as Friday night wears on, and with the front stalling to the south, periods of showers and thunderstorms will continue over the weekend and over the next several days. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the heaviest rain will fall, but generally speaking, a few inches of rain should be fairly easy for many of us to come by. It won’t rain all the time, either, but when it does, be ready for it.

There is a low, but non-zero, severe weather risk Friday night that will diminish as we get into Saturday behind the front. Once the front is by, winds will go northeasterly, and despite the risk for thunderstorms, the air will turn a bit cooler and drier as dewpoints fall to around 70°. Saturday starts in the mid-70s, but with the influence of the front and storms in the vicinity, highs only peak in the mid-80s. Sunday starts even cooler, with lows in the low 70s warming to the low 80s in the afternoon. We look to stay in the 80s for a few days as the front lingers to our south, too, so despite the rain, at least we won’t be dealing with the dangerous heat of the past week-plus, which helped propel July into the fourth warmest on record at the airport climate site in North Charleston. (Records for that site go back to 1937.)

This is one of those weekends where you probably want to just stay in a nice, cool place as a heat wave begins to ramp up across the Lowcountry, with the potential for several record highs and record warm low temperatures to occur starting Saturday through much of next week.

We’ve got a rather hot weekend ahead as high pressure builds in overhead and at the surface. We can expect temperatures each day to head into the upper 90s each afternoon, with heat indices surging to around 110° in spots especially in the immediate wake of the seabreeze.

Plenty of heat and humidity continues as we head into the weekend, and this will lead to more afternoon thunderstorms (though perhaps not quite as many, especially Sunday). A ridge of high pressure aloft will nudge into the area from the west — enough to keep the heat on, but not quite enough to totally squelch the afternoon thunderstorm threat either. Temperatures will run in the mid-to-upper 70s each morning, warming to the low-to-mid-90s each afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms will initiate on the seabreeze as it pushes inland, though the prevailing flow around the ridge could send some storms back coastward — something to think about if the beach is in your plans. The ridge nudges in a bit more for Sunday, and that should help to keep the risk for thunderstorms a little lower than on Saturday, but either way, just be prepared to bring your outdoor activities indoors if thunderstorms approach.

Tropical Depression Three developed this afternoon off the Southeast coast, and will be the main driver of our weather this weekend. Even though Three is forecast to become Tropical Storm Chantal, this should largely be a beneficial system, bringing some rain to some parched spots. However, it will still bring a few hazards, including gusty winds (40-45 MPH) near the coast and offshore, a high risk of rip currents, and the potential for locally heavy rain that could lead to some flooding, particularly around the afternoon high tide. This potential has prompted a Tropical Storm Watch for Charleston County. With all that said, though, this is nothing we can’t handle.

The final weekend of June will have that classic end-of-June feel: lows in the mid-70s, highs in the mid-90s, and isolated to scattered afternoon thunderstorms each day.

Summer heat will continue this weekend with limited chances for a few storms to cool things off. Saturday will start in the mid-70s, warming to the low-to-mid-90s in the afternoon. Mix in dewpoints in the low 70s, and it’ll feel more like the mid-to-upper 90s. There will be a bit more moisture available Saturday, which could allow for slightly greater storm coverage as the seabreeze pushes inland during the afternoon. However, most of us shouldn’t count on a storm to cool things off. Any storms that fire will dissipate with the loss of daytime heating.

A stray storm or two will be possible Sunday, but the vast majority of us should stay rain-free as dewpoints once again mix down to the low 70s in the afternoon owing to a lot of dry air aloft. We’ll warm to the low 90s, but the lower dewpoints keep heat indices relatively in check, only running a few degrees above the air temperature. That’s not to say that feeling like the mid-90s is in any way “cool” though!

I’m running out of ways to say “it’s going to be hot and stormy” but here we are. The pattern remains stagnant with the Charleston area on the western periphery of Atlantic high pressure at the surface and aloft. Mid-level disturbances will continue to ripple into the area from the west, and those disturbances combined with a continued influx of warm and humid air will keep rain chances elevated, especially in the afternoons. Saturday starts in the mid-70s, warming to the upper 80s in the afternoon. Thunderstorms should initiate once again in the late morning and early afternoon hours, particularly along and ahead of the seabreeze. As with previous days, the risk for severe weather is generally low, though a strong to severe storm can’t be ruled out especially where outflow boundaries collide.

We’ll do it again on Father’s Day, with lows in the mid-70s warming to around 90° in the afternoon. Once again, expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms to develop across the area especially during the afternoon hours. Once again, pockets of heavy rain will be possible, and an isolated severe storm is not out of the question. As always, though, all thunderstorms are dangerous due to the lightning they produce. Remember the rule: if you can see lightning or hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck and should head inside.

Heat and humidity will continue to feature prominently in the weekend’s weather as we watch disturbances to our west potentially introduce a risk for strong to severe thunderstorms at times. If you have outdoor activities planned this weekend, keep a close eye on the weather.