FOX Carolina 21A Few Late Wednesday Storms Possible

Warmer Wednesday:  A cool start in the 30s for Western NC and upper 30s to low 40s in the Upstate will be followed by temperatures that will remind us of the fact that spring is just around the corner.  Highs by the afternoon will reach the 65°-67° for Upstate/NE Georgia towns with low 60s for Western NC towns.  Not only that, but a good amount of sunshine, especially the first half of Wednesday will make for some comfortable conditions by lunch.

Late Wednesday Spotty Showers/Storms:  Clouds will increase a bit by the afternoon as a week upper-level system dives into the Tennessee Valley just west of us.  Some towns will see more clouds than sun by afternoon while other towns enjoy more sun than clouds.  Even though we'll never feel the upper-level cold air rushing in, the drastic temperature gradient between the surface warmth we will feel (aided by a good amount of sun) contrasted by this upper-level cold pool will set the stage for a few thunderstorms late tomorrow with the possibility of a few of those storms being strong. 

While we don't expect widespread rain, spotty showers and a few thunderstorms will be possible between 1PM and 8PM.  The graphics to the right show CAPE (an indication of how much instability is present within an airmass capable of producing storms - the brighter the color, the higher the instability).  Also, the Storm Prediction center has our area within a slight risk for a few strong/severe storms.  The risks will be isolated wind damage and small hail, but very few, if any, towns will be impacted.  There isn't a risk of tornadoes tomorrow due to a very weak upper level wind shear environment.