First Warning Forecast | Sweeping Aside The Clouds

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The front that helped focus the flooding rains of the past few days has now pushed eastward, sweeping toward the east coast (and taking Hurricane Idalia with it). We had to deal with the dense morning fog given the arriving cooler air meeting the warmer river water, a preview of what will soon occupy many mornings across the region as we move closer to the cold-weather months. Meanwhile, Idalia itself made landfall right around 7am in “major” hurricane status. Idalia is projected to continue toward Myrtle Beach and Carolina coastline bringing heavy rains, but we’ll see a refreshing northerly breeze mix sunshine and clouds overhead and keep us largely in the comfy 70s this afternoon. You may actually see some high clouds come in from the south, which is actually the outflow of Idalia’s circulation, but don’t worry about its rains. The next several days are going to end up rain-free. Tonight’s cool air will see temperatures drop to the 50s, bringing out the long sleeves and kicking off the air conditioners to start the last day of August.

A stirring breeze will try to battle morning fog on Thursday, but either way we’ll be back in the sunshine in the afternoon, with highs in the upper 70s. That ‘cant beat it’ feel will continue Friday, with drier air helping morning temperatures to their cozy start deep in the 50s (perhaps some 40s in the mountain valleys). Expect an excellent night for festivals and high school football, but continued sunshine will eventually turn out of our favor this weekend. Tailgaters on Saturday should be ready for some heat, as sunshine pushes us back into the upper 80s. The “heat wave” talk returns starting Sunday and Labor-Day Monday with temperatures reaching and crossing the 90-degree mark. We definitely need the time to dry out, but I bet by early next week we might want another switch lest temperatures head for the mid-90s.

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