After an up and down weather pattern bouncing back and forth between hot and humid days with scattered thunderstorms and cooler temps, especially in the evenings, Highland County residents can expect sunny skies and comfortable temperatures next week due to a round of high pressure in the area, according to the National Weather Service.
James Gibson, a meteorologist with the NWA station in Wilmington, said winds will begin coming out of the north over the weekend, bringing drier weather to the area and allowing high pressure to develop.
The high-pressure system will settle in beginning Saturday, and will stay in place for at least the next seven days, bringing clear skies and warm temperatures to the area, according to Gibson.
Gibson said Saturday will be the coolest day of the foreseeable future with a high of 76.
Saturday is set to be sunny with a high near 77 and light winds, while temperatures will dip into the mid-50s throughout the night and into the morning.
Those headed to worship services on Sunday morning may want to bring a light jacket, since temperatures will linger in the mid-50s in the early hours, but will rise throughout the day to reach 79 degrees in the afternoon.
Temperatures will continue to rise throughout the week, according to Gibson, with Monday’s high at 82 with sunny skies, a high near 84 on Tuesday, and highs near 85 on Wednesday and Thursday. Clear, sunny skies are prominent in the forecast until Friday, which will be partly sunny with a high near 83.
“We’re looking at real nice weather,” Gibson said.
Gibson said beyond that, it’s hard to tell what will come next – especially when it comes to viewing conditions for the upcoming total solar eclipse, which is set to sweep over American skies in late August.
Gibson said he has studying the phenomenon, and the NWA has been following its development closely.
The eclipse, set to appear Monday, Aug. 21, will track from the Pacific to the Atlantic, according to the NWA, beginning near Newport, Ore. at 1:16 p.m. EDT, and ending near Charleston, SC at 2:48 p.m. EDT.
The shadow of the moon will track over parts of the following states: Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina.
According to the NWA, no one in Southwest Ohio will be able to see a total solar eclipse, but a partial eclipse will occur for the rest of the United States.
Maps of areas where a full eclipse can be viewed are available at weather.gov.
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.
