Summer weather looms on the horizon

It hasn't felt much like summertime recently in Mecklenburg county. At dawn this Wednesday morning temperatures were very pleasant, with South Hill winning the prize for the lowest reading at 58 degrees. But hang on to those shorts, flip-flops, fans, and air conditioners. Take a gander at these two graphics showing expectations for what lies ahead:

The good news is that dew points and thus the "stickiness factor" will remain relatively low through the upcoming weekend. The potentially bad news is that little or no rain is in the forecast through early next week. That's not good given a growing concern about drought conditions across the region.

This afternoon's high temperature will reach the mid-80s under mostly sunny skies as high pressure draped over the Mid-Atlantic keeps things nice and calm. That high pressure will then slide off the coast tonight, switching surface winds around out the south in Mecklenburg county. After morning thermometer readings in the low 60s Thursday will warm to near the 90 degree mark as the heat builds. 

Friday looks to be the hottest day this week with temperatures topping out in the low to mid-90s ahead of an approaching cold front. That boundary will push through near midnight Friday, bringing only slightly cooler air behind it. Its main effect will be to usher in drier air, keeping down the humidity for the weekend.

Friday morning's blogpost will take a closer look at the weekend conditions.