Pleasant Weekend in Store for Communities Cleaning Up After Helene

The death toll blamed on Hurricane Helene now stands at 165 people with hundreds more people still reported as missing. A storm as deadly as this has inevitably unleashed mass destruction across Florida and into the Southeast. The silver lining is that the upcoming weekend forecast will offer a boost to workers sifting through the mess left behind. Read on for the details of this calm weather forecast.

Short-Term Forecast Delivers a Few Hiccups for Helene Cleanup Efforts

Hurricane Helene recovery efforts will get a helping hand from the weather by the weekend thanks to a large area of high pressure that is forecast to usher in dry and pleasant conditions. The change in the weather will arrive by this weekend after a few bumps in the road this week.

The short-term forecast is calling for areas of morning fog that could prove to a hindrance for the various airlift operations taking place over the region. The fog is expected to burn off by the middle of the morning. The patchy fog will lift for the bulk of the Southeast by the weekend, however, some lingering early morning foggy conditions may remain in the mountain valleys next week.

The next few days will also feature high humidity levels, making it feel warmer than the actual air temperature indicates. The muggy weather will pose difficulties for residents still in the dark and without air conditioning after power was knocked out.

The Southeast will also see the chance of isolated rain showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours through Friday. The most likely chance of development will be in the southern Appalachians as this area is sandwiched between a mass of dry air to the north and the west and the lingering moisture-rich air circulating to the south and the east.

While most of this rain will be spotty in nature, there is still an outside threat of flash flooding if rain trains over a particular area for a longer time. Even the slightest bit of consistent rain could overrun weakened stormwater management systems as the result of the damaged infrastructure from Helene.

Good News on the Horizon

The wedge of dry air will press into the Southeast by the weekend, coming from the north and the west. The building area of high pressure will give this dry air some staying power over the weekend. This will translate to lower humidity levels, cooler temperatures overnight, and plenty of sunshine.

The forecast is calling for daytime highs to hover in the 70s in the higher elevations and near 80 degrees in the valleys across the southern Appalachians. The Piedmont region will see temperatures bounce around in the low to mid 80s for high readings. Overnight lows will range from the mid 50s and up into the low 60s across the mountainous terrain while bottoming out in the 60s in the Piedmont.