ROANOKE, Va. – Elsa made landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida Wednesday morning as a tropical storm. Since then, it’s moved quickly through Georgia and South Carolina. Thursday, it will move through central North Carolina and eastern Virginia.
While the center of the storm may be positioned a bit east of us, the rain around it will move through our area.
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We expect isolated tropical downpours in the morning, but the bulk of the rain moves in for the eastern half of our area between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
You can see how the more torrential rain favors areas like Southside, as Elsa continues to be pushed east. This is also where we may see wind gusts in excess of 30 mph during the afternoon.
By suppertime, most of the area is dry and/or left with hit-or-miss downpours unrelated to Elsa.
Rain totals will be on the order of 1-2″+ in Southside, but decreasing the farther west that you go. That’s why a Flash Flood Watch is in effect Thursday for Southside.
The same front that guides Elsa east Thursday may trigger a few showers and storms west of the Parkway Friday. Otherwise, a very typical summer pattern unfolds for the weekend.
High pressure to the east and low pressure to the west will continue the flow of warm and humid air through Monday.
With a front nearby, the chance for storms will be slightly higher Sunday than Saturday.
After Monday, high pressure becomes the dominant feature. This means temperatures will rise more - into the upper 80s and lower 90s - and that storm chances will mainly be confined to the higher elevations.