Steve signing in at 7:38 AM. Patchy dense fog earlier is burning - TopicsExpress

Steve signing in at 7:38 AM. Patchy dense fog earlier is burning off, leaving clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures are mainly in the low and mid 50s ranging from 51° at Table Rock to 56.5° at Burke Weather HQ in Valdese. We should be mostly sunny today although debris clouds from thunderstorm complexes to our north and west may drift into the counties from time to time. With an active westerly breeze temperatures in the mid and upper 80s can be expected later this afternoon. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms could build in the mountains to our north and west later this afternoon into the evening. One or two of these storms could produce damaging downdraft winds. It is possible that a stray thunderstorm could make it into the foothills or western piedmont but most of us should remain dry. However, those of us Marion, Lenoir, maybe even Morganton and Hickory could see some lightning in the north and west skies after dark. As a frontal system sinks southward Thursday, the counties face a slightly better chance of showers and thunderstorms late in the day. Thursday itself will be a very warm day with upper 80s and sunny to partly cloudy skies. Storms should be isolated to widely scattered, meaning that more than 50% of us are likely to remain dry, but any thunderstorm that does fire up has damaging wind potential. The front should be south of us on Friday near the NC/SC state line so we should see drier and slightly cooler weather lasting into much of the Memorial Day Weekend. However, heat and humidity begins to increase on Memorial Day itself and afternoon thunderstorms are again possible Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.