*Downpours will remain possible through Tuesday as a cold front pushes across the mountains.
*Expect a refreshing air mass to arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday with gorgeous conditions for mid-summer by the afternoon into Wednesday night-Thursday morning.
*A cooler and stormy pattern develops by this weekend into early next week. A heavy to potentially excessive rainfall pattern is being monitored during the July 22-26 period.
Overnight Into Tuesday Morning
Hit-miss showers with a chance of thunderstorms. Winds WSW-WNW at 5-15 mph, with higher gusts, along middle to upper elevation mountain ridges. Areas of dense valley fog. Humid & hazy with temps in the 60s to around 70 degrees.
Tuesday Morning Through The Afternoon
Showers & thunderstorms likely. Local downpours. Some storms could be briefly strong to severe. Winds becoming NW at 5-15 mph, with higher gusts. Temperatures varying from around 70 degrees to the lower 80s ( coolest at highest elevations ).
Tuesday Night Into Wednesday Morning
A chance of evening showers or local storms. Becoming partly-mostly clear and less humid ( increasing high clouds by morning ). NW-NNE winds 5-10 mph, with higher gusts, along mid-upper elevation mountain ridges. Areas of dense fog developing. Temperatures varying from the low-middle 50s in cooler valleys at upper elevations to the low-mid 60s.
Wednesday Afternoon
Partly cloudy. Blue skies aloft. Pleasant. Less humid. Temperatures varying from the 60s to lower 70s at upper elevations to the upper 70s to lower 80s.
Wednesday Night Into Thursday Morning
Mostly clear and cool. Areas of dense valley fog. NE winds shifting E-SE on mid-upper elevation ridges. Temperatures varying from 40s in colder mountain valleys at the upper elevations to the 50s to around 60 degrees.
Weather Discussion ( Cooler Pattern )
The second half of Summer 2018 ( July 15-August 31 ) will be trending cooler than the first half of this season.
Gorgeous Afternoon at High Knob Lake on July 14, 2018
Although only 2 days have broken 80 degrees at High Knob Lake ( 81 degrees on July 4 being the max so far this year ), and no days have gotten out of the 70s on highest northern slopes in the massif, it has been a much different story for lowlands within the Great Valley where 19 days at or above 90 degrees have already been observed ( mostly in July ).
Daily Climate Date For The Tri-Cities ( July 1-15, 2018 )
Although much more pleasant conditions will be felt by Wednesday into Thursday, a moisture return will occur into this weekend and early next week to set the stage for cool, wet mid-summer conditions. This will be especially true if an upper-level low forms over the region as some recent model guidance suggests.
European 51-Member Ensemble Mean 500 MB Height Anomalies: Days 6-10
A upper trough over the eastern USA at this time of year can be a stormy setup, with relatively cold air aloft over top of low-level moisture. A heavy to potentially excessive rain pattern is being monitored heading into next week.
Stay tuned for later updates on a cooler, wetter pattern.
