HEAT ADVISORY TODAY; P.M. POP-UP STORMS… Hot, humid conditions will continue on this Thursday with heat index values likely to be in excess of 110 degrees in many spots this afternoon. A Heat Advisory is in effect for ALL local counties this afternoon into this evening. In addition to the hot temperatures today, we probably will be tracking a few thunderstorms around the region during the P.M. hours. I do not expect as many thunderstorms compared to what happened last evening, but we inevitably will have a few pop-up thunderstorms around. More hot temperatures and humid conditions will continue into the weekend. There is a real chance some spots may hit the 100 degree mark (in terms of the air temperature) Friday or Saturday with heat index values as high as 115°. A few more Thursday morning forecast notes are below.
SCATTERED STORMS TODAY… Thunderstorms that develop today will continue to move TO the west as our area remains at the base of a large ridge of high pressure situated well to our north. Heavy rain, cloud-to-ground lightning, brief gusty winds, and small hail will be possible in the stronger thunderstorms today.
WHY STORMS ARE MOVING WEST… Basically, what happened over the last two evenings is thunderstorms being driven clockwise around a large ridge of high pressure situated to our northwest. Because the air flow around an area of high pressure moves clockwise (as opposed to counterclockwise in an area of low pressure in the northern hemisphere), these “small” (relatively anyway) clusters of storms are essentially rotating around the large high. Since our area is on the southern side of this area of high pressure, we’re in the “6PM spot” on an analog clock. Thus, the storms are coming out of the east. This pattern will change in the weeks ahead and storms will revert to their more traditional “west to east” pattern.
BRUTAL HEAT TO CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND… Showers and thunderstorms will decrease in coverage this weekend. High temperatures will be closer to the 100 degree mark on Friday and Saturday. Heat index values could be in the 110-115° range.
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See all the details in your Thursday morning #rzw forecast video. Have a great day!