Next weather maker brings brief humidity, isolated storm chance Monday

Our next weather maker arrives Monday, bringing a brief spike in humidity levels and only isolated afternoon storms in the Sandhills.

• Monday: Warm again with the chance for a few showers. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
• Tuesday: A bit cooler in the upper 70s.
• Wednesday: Warm with low humidity. Highs in the low to mid 80s.

A front to the north and an area of low pressure off the coast combine forces to produce a scattered storm chance Monday afternoon.

The best chance will be in the afternoon and early evening, and the majority will be south of the Triangle.

There's ample dry time, which will allow temperatures to reach the mid to upper 80s. 

Humidity levels will fall from north to south throughout the afternoon, making for a more pleasant feel into the evening and overnight.

The middle of the week looks great! We're expecting fantastic tailgating weather for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final!

High pressure keeps us dry Wednesday and Thursday.

Highs will jump to the mid-upper 80s Thursday and 90s into the weekend as an upper-level ridge builds over the region.  

Monday is the official start to Atlantic hurricane season, which runs until November 30. Nothing is currently outlooked by the National Hurricane Center. 

WRAL is forecasting near-to-below average activity in the Atlantic Basin this season. Keep in mind that doesn't mean we're completely void of storms. 

WATCH: We discuss the reasoning behind that forecast in this special report.

While recent rains have eased the drought a bit, especially in the south-central part of the state, the Triangle is still about 10 to 14 inches behind normal rainfall this year. 

This spring remains the driest start to the season on record.

Much of western and central North Carolina is in an extreme drought -- the highest level, according to the latest drought monitor.

"The drought is still likely to persist into the summer months," WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said. "We need a ton of rain to get rid of it -- it's going to take months."

The U.S. Drought Monitor is an aggregation of measurements including precipitation, soil moisture, evaporation, temperature and reservoir levels that classifies conditions at six levels:

• None: Normal conditions
• Abnormally dry
• Moderate drought
• Severe drought
• Extreme drought
• Exceptional drought

In an extreme drought, major crop and pasture losses are expected, reservoirs and wells are at very low levels and many municipalities limit water use.

• Monday: Partly cloudy skies with showers possible and maybe some storms. Highs in the mid 80s.
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy and less muggy. Highs near 80.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny skies and still pleasant. Highs in the lower 80s.
• Thursday: Partly cloudy and warmer. It's still comfortable with low humidity. Highs in the lower-mid 80s.
• Friday: Getting hotter. A high near 90 degrees.
• Saturday: Partly cloudy and hotter. Highs jump to the low 90s.
• Sunday: Chance of a Thunderstorm. 30% chance of precipitation. High of 93°