COLUMBIA, S.C. — We are one week into meteorological summer and we already have some very hot weather on the horizon. Models have begun to pick up on a very hot pattern going into the middle an end of next week.
During the summer, there are two things that can be issued from the National Weather Service. A Heat Advisory and an Excessive Heat Warning.
A Heat Advisory issued when temperatures or the heat index reach between 110-114°F for at least 2 hours. In this type of weather, it is recommended to take the correct precautions if you need to go outside during the day to stay cool.
An Excessive Heat Warning is issued when the temperature or heat index is at or above 115°F. At this point, it is best to try to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day. It is likely that overnight lows will be very warm as well adding to any bodily stress or fatigue.
With all of this out of the way, let's talk about the weather ahead. This week, highs look to peak out in the middle 90s. While that is above average for this time of the year, those numbers are pretty typical.
Once we get to the middle of next week, things look to change. An upper-level ridge looks to park itself right over the south-central US which in return will build a very stout high pressure system over the country. This sets the stage for not only a drier pattern, but also for very hot temperatures. While we don't have exact numbers yet, at least the upper 90s are looking very likely around Father's Day.
Even with this stifling heat in the forecast this is actually pretty close to when climatology says we should start seeing this type of weather. In Columbia, based off of data from 1942, the period of mid-June to mid-August is when we see our most 95°+ days.
