A First Alert Weather Day is now in effect for Friday afternoon and evening as dangerous heat, heavy humidity and the chance for severe weather build across the area. Highs will climb into the 90s for several hometowns, and feels-like temperatures are expected to reach close to or above 100 degrees.
That warning is landing now because Friday is shaping up to be the day when the forecast turns most unsettled. The Storm Prediction Center has placed a good portion of the area under a Slight Risk of severe weather, and coverage of storms is expected to be higher than Thursday. Chief Meteorologist Justin Povick explained in depth Wednesday afternoon what a storm cap is and how it could shape the local forecast over the next couple of days.
For readers watching wsbt weather, the setup matters because the worst heat and the strongest storm threat are arriving together. The front is expected to move through Friday afternoon and evening, and while localized downpours are possible, most of the widespread soaking rain is expected to stay west of the area through Friday. That means the region could get the heat and the storm threat without the kind of soaking rain that would provide broader relief.
The drought has already made that split especially important. Severe and extreme drought cover the entire area, conditions have gotten a little worse this week, and no major dents in the current drought monitor are expected through Friday. Ponding water is possible in spots if storms develop, but the limited rain coverage means the ground is likely to stay thirsty heading into the weekend.
Saturday should bring a quieter turn once the front pushes through, with low humidity making it feel much more comfortable. Spotty storms are then possible Sunday afternoon, but rain chances remain very limited for the foreseeable future outside of hit-or-miss thunderstorms. The bigger unanswered question is not whether Friday will be hot and unsettled — it will — but how much rain, if any, actually falls before the weekend closes in.
