DELMARVA FORECAST
Friday night: Smoky haze. Lows in the mid 70s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Strong thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Highs in the mid 90s. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Sunday: Partly cloudy with isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy with afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Highs around 90°F. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms, some strong. Highs in the upper 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 88°F / Normal low: 69°F
It has been a Friday of very poor air quality, with wildfire smoke causing a choking haze over all of Delmarva.
The high pressure ridge that has been responsible for recent unseasonably hot temperatures is beginning to break down, and as an area of low pressure passes to our north, a warm front will come up the East Coast and shift our winds to a southerly direction Friday night.
This wind shift will start the process of clearing out these smoky conditions. While I am expecting at least a little bit of smoke on Saturday morning, it will not be anywhere near as oppressive as it has been Friday.
That wind shift will also usher in warmer and more humid air, pushing Saturday temperatures into the mid 90s.
A cold front will swing across the region Saturday afternoon and evening, triggering widespread strong thunderstorms. All modes of severe weather are possible, including tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding. The Midshore and Delaware face the highest threat, a Level 3 "Enhanced" threat of severe weather, with the rest of Delmarva under a Level 2 "Slight" threat (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 the highest threat).
The cold front will likely stall out near Delmarva for a short time on Sunday, with a lower threat for a few thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon and evening.
Monday will likely be the best day in the coming week, with mainly sunny skies and highs in the mid 80s.
Another storm system will bring chances for thunderstorms next Tuesday and Wednesday. Delmarva is already under a Level 2 "Slight" threat for severe weather on Wednesday.
In the Tropics: An area of low pressure in the northeastern Gulf has a low, 30 percent chance of development in the next 7 days. It is not a threat to Delmarva at this time, but we will need to watch it if it does develop.
A tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands has a low, 10 percent, chance of development in the next 7 days.
