First things first, scattered storms lit up the radar this afternoon with increased moisture and instability in our atmosphere. Highs were kept down in the upper 80s due to the increased cloud cover and rainfall. I expect a similar pattern tomorrow with scattered storms, starting near the coast during the morning hours, moving northward through the afternoon. Locally heavy downpours likely with some storms producing frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.

The front itself will work through the area on Tuesday, producing a good scattering of showers and storms. Highs will only reach the mid-80s as a thick layer of cloud cover and rainfall won’t allow for much sunshine through the day. The front will work down to the south, into the northern Gulf, by Tuesday night. Cooler and drier air will filter into the area behind the front. Morning start will be near 70 degrees Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, highs will only achieve the mid-upper 80s under mostly sunny skies. More importantly, humidity will be kicked down drastically. Dewpoints will only be in the low-mid 60s, which is a rare treat in July. Mid-level relative humidity will be between 10-20%, which shows how dry this airmass really is.

The coolest morning will be Thursday morning with temperatures possibly reaching the middle 60s as far south as the I-10 corridor. Central parts of the state could see lower 60s. This is some 8-10 degrees below average for this time of year. You’ll definitely feel it across central parts of the state as a north wind of about 10-15 mph will provide the slightest hint of Fall in the air. Temperatures will rebound Thursday afternoon into the upper 80s, but humidity will still be low.

Things will get back to normal by Friday, Saturday, and Sunday–as moisture surges back northward, leading to an increase in rain chances once again.