The heat continues today, and for some time to come

Tomorrow, the heat gets cranked up a little more, and most areas outside the highest elevations will see temperatures soar into the 90s in the afternoon. We’ll get close to a record high for the date in Beckley. The old record is 94, which was set in 1931.

Whether we see a record or not, it will be hot enough to cause people who have to be outside in the afternoon to take extra precautions. Drink plenty of water, take it easy, don’t overexert, and try to find a shady or air-conditioned spot to cool off. Lows tomorrow night will be warm again, once again only dropping to right around 70 degrees.

As we go into the holiday weekend, chances for showers and storms will return to the forecast, starting with scattered afternoon and evening storms on Friday.

Some of the storms on Friday and Saturday could be on the strong side, as the thunderstorms could develop quickly with the heating of the day and cause a stray strong wind gust or small hail, before dying almost as quickly. Because of this possibility, the Storm Prediction Center has placed the area in the Marginal (Level 1 out of 5) risk for severe weather.

By the time the holiday itself rolls around, the rain chances will go up a bit in terms of coverage, with those chances getting even better on Sunday. With the cloud cover, temperatures will cool off, but we’ll see more humidity in the atmosphere, giving us a true summer-like feel to our weather. Highs will still be hovering around the 90-degree mark. Early next week, we’ll return to a wet pattern as the front that will produce the weekend showers and storms will stall just to our south, giving us numerous chances for rain as we end the forecast.

With the front to our south, temperatures will be a bit cooler but still above normal by a few degrees.