Forecast Last Updated at Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 7:04AM

Downhill Slide

Writing the forecast this morning, I needed all the Jack Johnson I could get from Pandora to keep my spirits up. The pleasant (albeit cool) weather of the last few days will soon be distant memories. Clouds are overtaking the Appalachians with increasing moisture from the south. Light rain is possible this afternoon, steadily increasing in coverage and intensity tonight. Friday looks like a washout--clouds, fog, rain. Rain may be heavy at times Friday morning. While the weekend looks less dire than Friday, clouds with some rain remain in play.

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Thursday Hi: 60 Lo: 52 Generally cloudy; Cool; Showers developing in the PM; Fog possible tonight; Wind becoming SE 5-10 mph (gusty at higher elev's tonight)

Friday Hi: 58 Lo: 55 Clouds; Fog; Chilly; Rain, possibly heavy in the AM; East wind 5-10 mph but gusty at higher elev's

Saturday Hi: 64 Lo: 56 Generally cloudy; Some AM fog; Periods of light rain tapering off by evening; Fog again Sat. night; Light SE wind

Sunday Hi: 63 Lo: 56 Partly to mostly cloudy; A few degrees warmer; Scattered mostly PM t-showers

Monday Hi: 65 Lo: 55 Scattered clouds; Isolated afternoon t-showers

Further Out

Tuesday - Partly cloudy; Warmer; Cannot rule out a stray afternoon t-shower; High in the upper 60s; Low in the mid 50s
Wednesday - Partly cloudy; Another step warmer; Cannot rule out a stray afternoon t-shower; High near 70 degrees; Low in the upper 50s

Forecast Discussion

Remember the record cool/damp weather two weeks ago? That's where we are headed again.

A front is draped along the Southeastern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Disturbances will ride along that front for the next few days, even forcing it a bit farther west and north. Meanwhile, high pressure centered to our northeast will keep a cool wedge of air down the Appalachians.

The result for the next three days will be... Clouds today with light rain developing this afternoon and evening. Fog developing tonight and hanging tough along the Blue Ridge all the way into Sunday morning. Areas of heavy rain Friday morning tapering off in the afternoon/evening. Scattered light rain Saturday. Temperatures remain cooler than normal, but Friday will be ridiculously cool for the first day of August.

Sunday through Wednesday, we break out of the cool/clouds and gradually evolve into a more summer-like Bermuda High look to the weather map. Scattered mostly afternoon thundershowers will be in the area Sunday. Monday through Wednesday, temperatures gradually climb, and thundershower coverage drops to barely worth mentioning.

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Check out our panning, live streaming webcam from the top of Sugar Mountain. Or see what's going on at the 4,300 ft. base.

Check out the golf and tennis center.

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