WEDNESDAY WEATHER: Our trend of warm, sunny days continues for one last day. We’ll top out around 87 degrees this afternoon, with plenty of sunshine. Tonight will likely be dry as well, with temperatures dropping into the upper 60s.
Rain chances arrive tomorrow and linger into tomorrow night, as a cold front moves through the region. There’s a 60% chance of thunderstorms. Temperatures will be in the mid 80s tomorrow, dropping into the mid 60s tomorrow night. The rain will be very much hit or miss.
THE WEEKEND: There’s a 30% chance of showers and storms lingering into Friday. The forecast looks pretty good for high school football, with only a very slight chance of isolated thunderstorms and temperatures falling through the 70s. Then we’ll see warming temperatures through the weekend. Sunday will top out in the upper 80s.
NEXT WEEK: We’ll be near 90 degrees each day to start next week, as above-average temperatures return. Rain chances will be pretty typical for this time of year.
FURTHER OUT: The month of September will likely be a little wetter than usual, as the strong El Nino begins to flex its muscles. Temperatures should be about typical for the month, with no strong signals of sweltering heat or an early fall.
RIVER CONDITIONS: Streamflows are about normal for the end of August. The Big South Fork River is just under 200 cubic feet per second (cfs), and Clear Fork is around 30 cfs. Water clarity is good. Water temperatures are topping out around 83 degrees during the peak of afternoon heating. Stream conditions are likely to be great for a late summer swimming trip this weekend.
TROPICAL WATCH: There are two systems being watched in the Atlantic. The first is located well off the Mid-Atlantic coast and will not be a threat to the U.S. Its chances of development are decreasing as it encounters hostile environmental conditions. The second is located a few hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands and will likely become a tropical cyclone in the next day or two. This one could eventually reach the U.S., but conditions will become less favorable for development this weekend.
WINTER OUTLOOK: One of the strongest El Ninos on record will likely lead to a wetter-than-normal winter in our area, and temperatures that are relatively mild on the whole. However, strong El Ninos are occasionally conducive to major winter storms in the Southern Appalachians. Historically, some of our strongest winter storms have occurred in strong El Nino setups when the timing of storm systems have lined up with southward thrusts of arctic air masses.
TODAY: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 12 p.m. today at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida. The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) will offer Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.
