Nations First Major Heat Wave of Summer Begins Memorial Day...

Looks like the first major heatwave of Summer should begin Sunday or Monday. It will encompass much of the East, including South, Midwest and MidAtlantic.  A strong closed high pressure system will begin over Dixie Sunday and quickly expand north and east toward the Midatlantic States and DC area, with compressional heating. The flow around the high will steer all clouds and organized systems away from the region in a big "circle" or ring of fire fashion, so only the edges have much hope for a cooling late day storm. However, the atmosphere will be loaded with low level moisture, so if any lifting mechanism can get going, and break through the "capping" that the high temps will try to hold onto, then major gully washers can ensue , with drenching downspours. Only a few areas near the Appalachians should expect these, but isolated storms could occur about anywhere. Otherwise, expect heat, haze and humidity to prevail the first half of the week, until the big ridge slides back toward Texas later in the week, which may allow a cooling back door front to drop down into the Eastern States.

Temperatures look to get into the 90's in many areas, possibly getting close to 100 in the Midatlantic of VA and eastern NC at one point as the strong upper high flexes in just the right spot for downslope warming. Heat Index values will be well into the 90's throughout with high humidity.