Dangerous Heat and Humidity Build. Isolated Severe Weather Sunday.

Good Saturday evening! If you’ve stepped outside today, you’ve probably noticed one thing…it’s turned downright summer-like. The heat and humidity have settled in, and that pattern isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We’ll continue dealing with hot afternoons, muggy nights, and the daily chance for showers and thunderstorms through the rest of the weekend and into next week. This weekend features the latest sunsets of the year. While the days are now slowly getting shorter, the morning sunrise getting later is the reason. So enjoy the extra daylight this weekend.

For Sunday, keep an eye on the radar early in the day. Some showers and thunderstorms may develop over the mountains during the morning before drifting east into the foothills. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could produce damaging wind gusts if they hold together. The bigger question is what happens after that.

If morning storms move through early enough, sunshine could help the atmosphere recover during the afternoon, allowing another round of scattered thunderstorms to develop. If clouds and rain linger longer, storm coverage during the afternoon would be more limited. That’s the main uncertainty in Sunday’s forecast.

Outside of the storms, it’ll be another hot and humid day. Afternoon temperatures will climb into the upper 80s and lower 90s across much of the foothills and Piedmont, with humidity making it feel closer to 100 degrees in many locations. While most areas should stay below Heat Advisory criteria, it will still be hot enough to take precautions if you’re spending time outdoors. Stay hydrated, take frequent breaks, and never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle.

Looking ahead, the bigger weather story becomes the heat. High pressure will strengthen over the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys early next week before expanding over the southern Appalachians by the end of the week. That means temperatures will continue climbing, and the hottest stretch of weather so far this summer appears likely from Wednesday through the Fourth of July weekend.

Many communities across the foothills and Piedmont could see heat index values over 100 degrees during the second half of the week, and if humidity remains high enough, some locations may approach Heat Advisory criteria by Thursday through Saturday. We’ll be watching that closely over the coming days.

As the ridge strengthens overhead, rain chances will gradually decrease. Beginning Tuesday, most of the daily thunderstorm activity should become isolated and focused mainly across the higher elevations, while many foothill and Piedmont communities stay dry and continue heating up.

What to Expect

• Sunday: Hot and humid with scattered morning storms possible, followed by another chance of afternoon thunderstorms. A few storms could produce damaging wind gusts.
• Monday: Very warm and muggy with isolated afternoon storms.
• Tuesday through Friday: Building heat with fewer afternoon storms. Heat index values will frequently top 100 degrees across parts of the foothills and Piedmont.
• Holiday Weekend: The hottest weather of the week may arrive just in time for Independence Day, with dangerous afternoon heat remaining a growing concern.

We’ll continue monitoring Sunday’s storm potential along with the increasing heat expected through next week and will provide updates as needed.

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-White