ROANOKE, Va. – You may read the headline and think, “Yeah, right...with how wet February was?” Let’s not forget that it has been completely dry for the last 10 days, including Monday which had the lowest humidity in a decade.
The dryness, unseasonable warmth and a breeze will keep the fire risk high Thursday. In addition to that, there is a statewide burn ban in place from Midnight to 4 p.m. each day until the end of April.
Outside of that, Thursday will be another beautiful day to spend outside. With a mix of clouds and sun and a breeze from the south, we expect temperatures to reach into the 70s for most of the area. This could perhaps be our warmest day of 2021 - beating out Wednesday by a degree or two.
Enjoy that, because wet weather will return for some of us Friday. It doesn’t look like a washout by any stretch. With a front passing through, a few afternoon showers will be possible.
This likely won’t be enough to wreck any plans.
This front will be south of us this weekend, leading to the chance of a stray shower and more clouds. Temperatures will be held down in the upper 50s and lower 60s each afternoon.
The real change comes Monday. High pressure to the north will keep cooler air locked in at the surface, while a storm system from the Rockies throws moisture our way. The earlier that moisture arrives, the better chance we have for a wintry mix. The later it arrives, the more that mix is confined to the higher elevations.
With how warm we’ve been, it’s doubtful that this turns into anything major. Stay tuned for updates, as the pattern turns wet at times throughout next week. That’s noted below in the Climate Prediction Center’s 6 to 10 day precipitation outlook.