Flood Watch issued, risk of some Flash Flooding on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY PM: Hey guys, let's talk about Wednesday! I know people's nerves are running high, and everyone is very worried, so I'd like to walk you through the forecast for Wednesday. A Flood Watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for Alamance, Anson, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Granville, Guilford, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly, Vance, and Warren County from Wednesday afternoon until Wednesday night.

Why: The concern is scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms that will develop across Central and Western North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon and evening. This looks to be a very summertime setup, but saturated ground leads to a greater concern. How will the storms form, the spark from the heating of the day and the lee trough (often called the Piedmont trough), which is lower pressure that often sets up in the summer east of the mountains. It usually runs north-south across the Piedmont roughly along I-85 or U.S. 1 from around Charlotte through the Triad up toward Raleigh and into southern Virginia. This is where the air rises and clouds and storms start forming, especially on hot and humid days, We should have a good amount of that tomorrow. I thought I would give a litlte science behind it.

STORMS: Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely tomorrow afternoon and evening across Central and Western NC, with only an isolated storm chance for Eastern NC. The concern is that the hit-or-miss storms that develop tomorrow will bring some heavy rainfall, and any heavy rainfall over the Western Piedmont is really not needed, given how high area streams and rivers are already running. Unfortunately, even with the advancements in technology we still can't pinpoint exactly where the scattered showers and thunderstorms will popup. This is why it is difficult to say exactly who will be affected. The atmosphere is favorable for some storms to drop a quick amount of rain, but I don't expect it to be as widespread as on Sunday. However, if your town sees it, you'll be saying Well, we got flooding. These will be hit or miss storms and not a tropical system, very summerlike so not everyone will even see rain tomorrow.

The Bottom Line: 🌧️ Wednesday will bring a classic summertime setup, with scattered to numerous afternoon and evening storms will pop up along the lee trough (Piedmont trough) across Central and Western NC. With saturated ground, any heavy downpours could quickly lead to localized flooding, especially in areas where streams and rivers are already high due to Chantal. Not everyone will see storms, but those who do may experience a sudden downpour of rainfall. Stay weather-aware, keep an eye on the radar, and don't drive through any flooded roads. No reason to change plans, but be aware, just in case all will be fine. I'll provide radar updates as normal.

-Ethan