THURSDAY WEATHER: We’ll see lingering rain showers early, followed by cloudiness that will gradually give way to mostly sunny skies with a high of 85 degrees. Rain chances will return tonight, but not until after midnight.
There’s a 50% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow for the first high school football games of the season. However, the rain chances will diminish quickly once the sun has set. Otherwise, we’ll again see temperatures in the mid 80s.
THE WEEKEND: We’ll see a dry weekend, with mostly sunny conditions and temperatures in the mid 80s. Humidity levels will be lower, and we’ll drop into the low 60s at night. Some outlying areas could touch the upper 50s late Sunday night!
NEXT WEEK: After a refreshing start to Monday morning, the heat and humidity will quickly rebound. We’ll only be in the mid 80s Monday but we’ll push close to 90 degrees by Wednesday. Rain chances will be slow to return to the forecast. There’s a very slight chance of rain by the middle of next week.
FURTHER OUT: It still looks like September will start warm and potentially wet. If you’re looking for an early start to fall, don’t hold your breath!
RIVER CONDITIONS: Stream conditions are great for a swim. Streamflows are about normal for this time of year, water clarity is great, and water temperatures are topping out in the mid 80s during the peak of afternoon heating. We will see much of the same through the weekend and into next week, although water temperatures will drop slightly due to lower humidity levels and “cooler” nighttime temperatures.
TROPICAL WATCH: No tropical storms are expected for at least the next 7 days, as it looks increasingly likely that 2026 will go down as one of the tamest hurricane seasons on record in the Atlantic basin.
WINTER OUTLOOK: A record El Nino pattern is developing in the Pacific, which will have an impact on our weather this winter. A strong El Nino will very likely lead to a wet winter, with increased rainfall due to an active southern branch of the jet stream. Strong El Ninos historically have reduced arctic air intrusions into the Southeast. However, some of our biggest snowstorms have occurred during strong El Ninos due to the more active southern storm track. It’s impossible to know very far in advance if or when conditions will become conducive for such a storm, but above-average rainfall is a relatively safe bet for the upcoming winter season.
