ROANOKE, Va. – We don’t often write about weather in other parts of the country, but when we do - it’s because a) it’s remarkable and/or b) it will eventually affect our weather in southwest and central Virginia.
Denver, Colorado, a city that averages 56″ of snow per year, has gone 230 days without measurable snow (0.1″ or more). The longest snow drought on record in the Mile High City is 232 days set back in 1887.
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That drought could end later this week, however, as a storm system dumps snow on the Rockies between Thursday and Friday.
Snow in the Rockies in December isn’t uncommon. However, this storm system will have some less-than-common impacts as it moves farther to the east.
The counter-clockwise wind around storm systems in the Northern Hemisphere means that this will start pumping unseasonably warm, humid air into the Tennessee River Valley and Mid-South Friday into late Friday night.
That’s where there’s the chance for severe thunderstorms.
As this storm moves farther east, it will continue to pump unseasonably warm air into southwest and central Virginia. This leads to near-record warmth in our area late Saturday morning and early Saturday afternoon.
Shortly thereafter, this storm will have enough life left to push some rain (possibly with some rumbles of thunder) through our area.
Once it passes, the northwest wind behind it picks up and drops temperatures into Sunday.
Don’t get used to that, though. Long-range outlooks show a high likelihood of above average temperatures and below average precipitation through at least next week.