DELMARVA -- Warmer and increasingly humid conditions will settle across the peninsula today as high pressure moves offshore and pulls more heat and moisture into the region.
Highs will range from 82 to 88 degrees, winds will gust out of the southwest to 30 mph.
Temperatures will climb into the mid-80s under partly sunny skies. Southwest winds will become gusty at times, with gusts approaching 30 mph as the pressure gradient strengthens across the peninsula.
Scattered showers and a rumble of thunder possible Thursday night into early Friday morning as a cold front pushes through.
Wednesday night will remain quite mild and muggy. Partly cloudy skies are expected with overnight lows only falling into the low to mid-70s.
Thursday will be hotter and more humid, with afternoon temperatures reaching the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. Partly sunny skies are expected for much of the day before a cold front approaches Delmarva from the northwest.
Temperatures rising to near 90 Thursday, cooling down behind the cold front Friday and Saturday.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening as the front crosses the region. The overall severe weather threat appears limited, although a few stronger storms could produce gusty winds and heavy downpours.
Periods of torrential rain could also lead to localized flooding. Delmarva is included in a Marginal Risk, level 1 of 4, for excessive rainfall Thursday into Thursday night.
Showers and thunderstorms should gradually move south and east across the peninsula Thursday night, with most of the rain expected to clear Delmarva by daybreak Friday.
A noticeably drier and more comfortable air mass will arrive Friday and linger into at least the first half of Saturday. Highs both days will be in the upper 7s0 to low 80s. Another disturbance could then bring renewed chances for showers and thunderstorms Saturday night into Sunday.
Warmer and drier conditions are expected to return to Delmarva early next week with highs in the mid to upper 80s.
