ROANOKE, Va. – Overnight forecast data has trended farther to the north and west with the remnants of Sally, thanks to the storm moving more quickly. This will mean more rain for the southern half of our viewing area. Flooding is a possibility for areas south of U.S. 460, especially as you get closer to the North Carolina-Virginia line. This is where we could pick up a few inches of rain through early Friday morning.
Showers start out scattered on the very outer edges of Sally early Thursday morning. After 8 or 9 a.m., we’ll notice the rain from the storm gradually shifting from south to north.
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Rain will turn widespread at times through midday or early afternoon. As we head through the afternoon, there will be some heavy pockets.
As the storm tracks farther east, these heavy pockets will focus more on Southside before leaving by early Friday morning. A cold front will push the remnants of Sally out to sea, which will result in a sharp cutoff in rain totals.
Parts of the Highlands won’t see a lot of rain. The farther south and east you go, however, the rain can start to add up.
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The cold front that pushes Sally away from the area will be a game changer. It will feel more like October by this weekend, as cooler air settles into the eastern U.S.
Saturday may start with clouds, but those should gradually decrease. Any haze from the wildfires out west should avoid the area. Expect highs in the 60s each afternoon, which should make for a comfortable time at the Sunflower Festival in Buchanan.
Especially noteworthy is how cool we will get at night. A clear sky, dry air and calm wind will allow low temperatures to fall into the low to mid 40s for most of the area. This is the coolest we’ve been in months!
The first day of fall is officially next Tuesday, with a warming trend likely through the middle of next week.