If it feels extra muggy in the mountains this week, you’re not wrong. A lingering heat wave is keeping temperatures several degrees above normal across Western North Carolina — and overnight lows aren’t offering much relief either.
“It’s really hard to cool off when the temperatures are that warm,” said Ashley Renberg, a forecaster with the National Weather Service office at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport. “Lows are running seven to 10 degrees above normal.”
Across the region, daytime highs are reaching the upper 80s to near 90 in places like Asheville, Sylva and Hendersonville. In Polk County and the South Carolina Upstate, it’s even hotter — with low to mid-90s and heat index values topping 100. Overnight lows remain near 70 across much of the area, adding to the discomfort.
But there’s a break coming: Cooler air is expected to arrive late in the week, with daytime highs dropping into the low 80s — and even the 70s.
“By the weekend, we’re looking at temperatures up to 10 degrees below normal in some mountain areas,” Renberg said. “We’ll finally see some relief.”
Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms are possible through Friday, with an isolated risk of flash flooding in areas that get repeated downpours.
Renberg says that even though no severe weather is currently expected, those in Helene-impacted areas should stay weather-aware — especially with locally heavy rainfall in the forecast.
“We could see excessive runoff in spots where the ground’s already dry and can’t absorb water quickly,” she said. “We’re not expecting widespread flooding, but flash flooding can happen fast in the mountains.”
She adds that the heat has felt even more intense due to high dew points — a sign of abundant moisture in the air.
“We’re just pumping in moisture from both the Gulf and the Atlantic,” Renberg said. “It makes things miserable — for lack of a better word.”
