Happy Monday! Despite the chilly air we’re contending with to start the week, Your Local Weather Authority is projecting a warmer than normal November overall. It also appears we’ll be drier than normal, which is bad news for any snow lovers out there hoping for some early season white stuff.
To start, you need to know what “normal” is in our area during the eleventh month of the year. It’s a month of transition as the average high in Roanoke drops from the mid 60s to the low 50s by the end of the month. We also receive 3.4″ inches of precipitation, which includes rain and snow.
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The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has released their national temperature and precipitation outlooks for November. The organization is projecting above-normal temperatures for much of the country.
What does that mean for us? You should probably expect more days with highs in the 60s (or even 70s) than 40s or 50s.
We’ve also been included in the drier-than-normal region on CPC’s precipitation outlook. States like Washington, Oregon and Idaho are the only ones projected for a wet November. It could be quite arid in places like Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
We feel comfortable saying it’s unlikely that the Roanoke Valley, Lynchburg and Southside will see measurable snow this November. We can’t rule it out in the New River Valley and Highlands just yet.
In case you’re wondering, 51 Novembers have featured snow in Blacksburg since records began in the late 1800s. November 1968 was the snowiest, with 15 inches falling. November snow records are not quite as impressive in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Danville.
When the first snow of the season does enter the forecast, we’ll be sure to let you know about it!
Speaking of the forecast, the cold and wind we’re starting the week with will be gone soon. Temperatures trend back toward the low 70s by Friday. Our skies should stay pretty calm all week. Meteorologist Chris Michaels has everything you need to know in our daily forecast article.
You can always get specific forecast details for your zone, whether it’s the Roanoke Valley, Lynchburg area, Southside or elsewhere around Southwest and Central Virginia, anytime at WSLS.com/weather. Know your zone!
In case you missed it, we’re posting great weather content on WSLS.com. Here are a few links from the past week to check out:
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-- Justin McKee