Forecast Last Updated at Friday, July 23, 2021 at 6:46PM

Showers return

Moisture increases from the south over the weekend while a front approaches early next week. Thus, an isolated shower or thundershower is possible Saturday afternoon with just a slight uptick in coverage expected on Sunday. Our best chances of showers and storms during this forecast cycle will arrive on Monday with the front. Temperatures remain warm through the period.

The 2022 Blue Ridge Calendar Photo Contest is complete. Our Grand Prize Winner is Valerie Seals with her photo of Big Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But there are 14 other winning photos. See all the winning photos at the 2022 Blue Ridge Calendar Photo Gallery. Many thanks to all the photographers who shared their time and talent with us. Once again, we had stunning photography to choose from.

We are now preparing the calendar for the printer and hope to be selling calendars by the end of August.

Friday Hi: 79 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy; Can't entirely rule out a late evening shower/thundershower; Light South wind

Saturday Hi: 75 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy; Patchy AM fog; More humid; Isolated PM showers or t-storms; SW wind 5-15 mph

Sunday Hi: 78 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy; Warm and muggy; Widely scattered PM showers & t-storms; West 5-10 mph

Monday Hi: 76 Lo: 60 Mostly cloudy; Scattered PM showers & thunderstorms; Some storms could be strong

Tuesday Hi: 77 Lo: 60 Partly to mostly cloudy; Widely scattered mostly PM showers & thunderstorms

Further Out

Wednesday - Partly cloudy; Warm; Can't completely rule out a late day shower or thundershower; High in the upper 70s; Low near 60 degrees
Thursday - Partly cloudy; Remains warm; High near 80 degrees; Low near 60 degrees

Forecast Discussion

As promised in the Intro section above, if you want to keep up with where the smoke is, click on this link. It's modeling from NOAA for near-surface smoke. Smoke reaching us from NW US fires is rare but not unprecedented.

The weekend brings an increase in moisture from the south and thus an increased threat of afternoon showers and thundershowers. Saturday expect only isolated afternoon showers and storms, but we'll bump that up a bit on Sunday thanks to an approaching front from the northwest and additional moisture influx from the south. Temperatures remain seasonably warm through the weekend.

The above mentioned front arrives in the area on Monday and brings us our best rain chances of the week. Scattered mostly afternoon showers and storms are expected. Some storms have the potential to be strong to severe, so this will be something that we will be monitoring over the next few days. The front starts to slowly push south on Tuesday, but still close enough to keep a few showers and storms in the forecast. With any luck, high pressure takes more control of our weather on Wednesday and Thursday reducing that shower and storm threat back closer to nil, but not completely zero.

Sugar Mountain Resort Activities

Sugar Mountain Resort's Summit Express and Easy Street chairlifts, the bike park, and the Sports Shop are open every weekend through September 6.

Rascal Jack's and Stonewall's What the Cluck food trucks will be at the base of the Summit Express chairlift Saturdays through Labor Day!

Join in on the action as racers from around the US do battle on Sugar’s classic downhill tracks July 31 and August 1 during the Downhill Southeast Series Finals. It's the region’s premier downhill mountain bike race series.

The Avery County Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival is on the grounds of Sugar Mountain Ski Resort August 13-15.

Next winter's season pass is now on sale. Purchase before October 16 to receive a preseason discount.

Purchase a Sugar Mountain Resort gift card. It makes a great gift for any occasion.

Check out the live webcams and visit us on Instagram.

SUGAR IS SWEETER!

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