In the charming city of Savannah, Georgia, we’re greeted this Tuesday morning by the warm and enthusiastic demeanor of StormTeam 3 Meteorologist Alysa Carsley. She invites us to embrace what promises to be a delightful day.
The day began with a sultry morning as temperatures lingered from the upper 70s to the low 80s before the sun peeked over the horizon. As today unfolds under a blend of sunshine and clouds, temperatures are set to climb swiftly into the 90s by midday. While high temperatures hover in the typical range of the low to mid-90s, the heat index could soar up to an oppressive 105 degrees. The day brings with it a hot, breezy wind, gusting up to 25 mph, with little relief from the heat beyond the occasional, isolated storm.
Wednesday paints a picture much like today, with high pressure off the coast spreading its influence across our region. This system is steering Tropical Storm Bertha westward along the Gulf Coast. Our dry and humid conditions are maintained by this high pressure, keeping temperatures locked in the mid-90s. Similar to today, only a few stray storms might pop up in the afternoon.
As we inch closer to the weekend, changes are on the horizon. By Thursday afternoon and evening, scattered storms begin to reappear, thanks to a cold front inching slowly across the Southeast near Tropical Storm Bertha. This front could draw some tropical moisture into its fold, bolstering our chances for rain, though high temperatures will still hover in the mid-90s.
Heading into Friday and Saturday, this cold front attempts to make its way through the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, bringing a more pronounced likelihood of scattered showers and storms over both days. The temperatures will offer a slight reprieve, moderating to the upper 80s and low 90s. By late weekend into the start of next week, the rain chances are expected to dwindle.
TROPICS: As of 8am, Tropical Storm Bertha has winds of 50mph and is nearly stationary as it crawls NW at 5 mph. It is expected to strengthen through the day before interacting with the Gulf Coast states late in the week. This interaction will gradually weaken Bertha before the storm falls apart across Louisiana into Texas. 2-4″ of rain is expected across parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, & Texas. Luckily, it looks like the soaking and major flooding rain threat remains offshore.