CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Although a hot summer is nothing unusual for West Virginia, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Charleston said it is out of the ordinary for it to get this hot, this soon.
“Normally in June we’re still getting storm waves like we’ve had for the past month. While it’s not really unusual, having this kind of heat and this kind of pattern with a ridge of high pressure this strong is more of a July-August pattern,” said Levi Cornett at the National Weather Service in Charleston.
Forecasters at the Charleston Weather Bureau have issued a Heat Advisory which remains in effect all the way through Friday. Cornett said it’s going to top out in the 90’s each day and feel like it’s in the triple-digits in some places.
“‘Feels like’ temperatures could hit 100 in some spots, especially across the typical warm areas like Charleston,” he said.
There is a ridge of high pressure which has built up over West Virginia and the system is drawing warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico into the state.
“When we get a southwest or southerly flow from the ridge pattern it carries up a lot more warm, moist air from the Gulf. That allows for the high humidity which in turn paired with the heat of the high pressure allows for temperatures to feel a lot worse,” he said.
Although it will be humid, Cornett said there doesn’t appear to be much chance for shower and thunderstorm activity with the system. He anticipated the next possible reprieve from the heat may not come until at least next Monday.