Hot and hazy again, but relief is on the way

Tomorrow will be a rinse-and-repeat type of day, and many areas will again get into the mid-to-upper 80s; a few may top out around 90 degrees. Once again, if you have to be outside in the early to mid-afternoon, make sure to take the usual precautions. The smoke will continue to be an issue as well. In fact, it’s expected that Friday will be the worst day for the smoke as a thick plume is pulled into the region.

After a partly sunny start to Friday, the end of the day will bring chances of showers and storms as a front approaches from the northwest.

The weekend features more rain chances as the Friday system brings a cool front into the region, which will stall out over the Deep South, enhancing the rain chances along the boundary. Along with the front, a series of disturbances pushes through, possibly producing strong to severe storms. The Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of the area in Level 2 out of 5 for severe storms, and the rest of the area in Level 1 out of 5 from Saturday into Sunday. While damaging winds are the main threat, the main threat with the storms remains flash flooding.

The good side is that we should just about eliminate the drought if we get good amounts of rain in the southern areas. Last week’s rain improved that area by one whole category in the drought monitor that was released today. Of course, the other good side of the rain is getting rid of the smoke from the fires.

With the cloud cover associated with the rain that starts Friday, temperatures will be a few degrees cooler than they have been. Highs will be in the upper 70s at the end of the forecast. That’s part of a trend that takes us beyond the extended forecast, as the 6- to 10-day outlook shows below-normal temperatures over most of the state as the upper-air pattern shifts to allow some cooler air to move into the region.