Tropical Depression Chantal is finally leaving the WCCB Charlotte viewing area, but not without leaving her mark on parts of the area. Luckily, most of us remained dry, however around 2 inches of rain fell over much of Richmond County, prompting a flash flood warning that will expire at 5:15 pm local time.
After a cloudy and cooler than average day for the rest of us, summer looks to return in a big way to start the week area-wide. Highs tomorrow will reach the mid to upper 90s in the Piedmont, and the low 80s in the High Country. We add a degree or two to those highs come Tuesday afternoon. The muggy meter will remain below average on Monday, but begins to climb on Tuesday, and gets back to the usual oppressive air you can wear by the middle of the week. Monday and Tuesday will remain mostly dry with only a couple pop up showers area-wide.
By the middle of the week, the pattern becomes much more unsettled, and rain chances begin to rise. An upper level system will help to take advantage of that unstable air at the surface, and afternoon thunderstorms become much more widespread Wednesday through Friday across the viewing area. These storms will pack a punch for those who get the core of them. Heavy rain, frequent lightning, and the potential for some severe wind gusts will all be on the table. The good news is any rain will help to bring the oppressive heat we see Monday and Tuesday closer to average. By the weekend, things settle down some, but we remain seasonably hot with isolated to scattered afternoon storms…