Warmer temperatures stick around through the weekend, but rain and wildfire smoke return

Pleasant weather sticks around for the weekend with humidity levels in the low to moderate range. 

Morning temperatures will remain in the mild to warm range after we saw an unseasonably cool morning yesterday. Part of the reason for the low morning lows on Thursday was the dry air in place behind a cool front. Dew points have ticked back up into the low 50s today. That's closer to the norm for this time of the year. Dew points will be up near 60 degrees both on Saturday and Sunday as return flow from the south begins to happen this afternoon. 

"Return flow" is a term used when winds change from a direction that is pulling in drier air, to a direction where moist air will begin to flow in. 

With humidity levels ticking, rain chances will go up on both Saturday and Sunday. The dynamics in the atmosphere make it look like our percentage of the area impacted by rain will be slightly higher on Saturday (40 percent) as compared to Sunday (30 percent). 

Thunderstorm activity should remain isolated, with a few rumbles heard through the day. Our next potential severe weather will occur early next week. At least for now, the Storm Prediction Center is highlighting us for severe weather on Monday of next week. 

I have our severe weather risk highest on Tuesday. 

Another issue will be the return of wildfire smoke early next week. You'll probably be able to see the haze by Sunday afternoon, sitting over Western Pennsylvania. 

At this point, modeling keeps most of the plume well above ground level Sunday and Monday, but conditions look to be in place to push the plume to the surface on Sunday ahead of another cold front passing by.