Fall’s arrival won’t break heat for York County, forecasters say

The arrival of autumn Friday will do nothing to break the pattern of warm weather, with above-average temperatures expected to continue into next week, forecasters say.

Temperatures are expected to approach 90 degrees the next few days in the York County area, with only a small chance of rain.

Meteorologists say they expect Hurricane Maria to stay well off the East Coast, and the only chance of precipitation will come from a few isolated showers or thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon, Thursday night and Friday afternoon.

Autumn arrives at 4:02 p.m. Friday, but it will be a while before Rock Hill-area temperatures feel fall-like.

A weather pattern that produced heat in the West and below-average temperatures in the East in late August and early September has flipped. High pressure is entrenched in the eastern United States, and meteorologists say it will be early October before the pattern changes again.

The average high temperature for Rock Hill at this time of year is 81 degrees, but readings near 90 are forecast Wednesday and Thursday. Humidity also is expected to be higher than in recent days, producing heat indices in the mid 90s.

Temperatures will drop back a few degrees by the weekend but will remain well above average, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Harry Gerapetritis.

It means a very warm afternoon for fans attending Saturday’s game in Columbia between South Carolina and Louisiana Tech, and Sunday’s Carolina Panthers contest against the New Orleans Saints.

Daily highs in the 80s are forecast again next week, but meteorologists say computer models indicate the pattern could change around Oct. 1, with cooler temperatures pushing into the Southeast. Rainfall is expected to remain below-average, however.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Fall’s arrival won’t break heat for York County, forecasters say."