Flood Watch issued ahead of Friday, Saturday's rain

Additional 1-2" of rain likely the next two days

ROANOKE, Va. – * A Flood Watch is in effect for almost the entire area through Friday and Saturday. *

We've seen measurable precipitation every day since this weekend. If everything were to fall as rain, we would've seen anywhere from 1.5" to 2.5" of rain in the last 5-6 days. 

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Thursday's warmth helped accelerate the snow melting ahead of more rain. Some of that rain may fall during the Friday morning commute, with periods of rain continuing into the afternoon.

After a break in the rain for most of us Friday night, we'll see even more rain developing into Saturday. A brief (and we mean BRIEF) wintry mix can't be ruled out west of the Parkway. Otherwise, everything we see falls as a cold rain. Some pockets of rain Saturday could be fairly heavy too.

In order for flash flooding to occur, we would need to see 1-2" of rain in 12 hour span west of the Parkway. Our 1-2" of rain comes in a 36-48 hour time frame, which is why the National Weather Service hasn't issued a Flash Flood Watch. 

The Flood Watch currently in place mainly pertains to streams, creeks and low-lying areas. We will have to watch a few area rivers that may rise. However, it's unlikely that we see significant flooding in that respect. 

Rain clears out of the region by Sunday, allowing for a nice break in the wetness. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and perhaps even Wednesday of next week look dry!


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.