Post-Chantal "tropicality" will remain

The weakening remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal swirled across Mecklenburg County between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. this Monday morning. Rain gauge totals recorded at stations around the county ranged from just over an inch (at Clarksville, Chase City, and Boydton) to barely more than a half-inch at the South Hill airport. However, per radar estimates the far western fringes of the county saw over 3 inches of precipitation as the core of the precipitation pushed northward through Halifax County.

This frame grab (from RadarScope) shows the rainfall totals estimated from radar views: 

And given the rotational characteristics of tropical systems there were at least three tornadoes reported in North Carolina. One was near Mebane, and two others were reported southwest of the Raleigh metro area.

In the wake of this system today will feature clearing skies and afternoon highs in the lower 90s. The tropical level stickiness will "stick" around (pun intended) since there is no weather feature available to scour away the tropical air. A shower or storm isn't out of the question late this afternoon, but any precipitation will be very scattered.

Tuesday looks to be somewhat warmer with afternoon highs topping out in the mid-90s. Given high humidity levels still in place the heat index values look to exceed the triple digit mark tomorrow, so be mindful of the potential to become overheated. The Storm Prediction Center has the region under a Marginal Risk - level 1 of 5 - for severe weather tomorrow. Storms are more likely to occur near dinner time, lasting into the evening hours.

No relief is in sight for this sticky humidity as there are no cold fronts with a strong enough push to venture this far south. Thus, the weather for the remainder of the work week will look much the same as the first couple of days, albeit a few degrees cooler given mostly cloudy skies. Hey, it's July!