ROANOKE, Va. – July starts off on a hot note which doesn’t change for quite a while into the month. It is pretty typical to have temperatures climb into the mid 80s this time of year, but highs will be a few degrees above average through the middle of next week. On top of all the heat there is plenty of moisture to let showers and storms form each day. Today it takes until after lunchtime for the showers to build.
Showers stretch from southwest to northeast in the afternoon with the best storm chance in the late afternoon/early evening. That timing is typical for storms this time of the year. The front driving our weather is still to our west so any storms that form are isolated.
Showers linger into the evening, but storm chances drop noticeably after sunset and most of those showers will be done by 10 P.M. Rain will be heavy at times, but it’s the kind of heavy rain that lasts for a few minutes then moves on. The risk for localized flooding is low today.
This afternoon’s storms make it hard to spend time at the pool. Since storm chances are even higher for the weekend itself any pool plans in the near future will have to wait. Showers and storms on Saturday are mostly in the middle of the day, and on Sunday storms are more widespread. You might be able to get a quick swim in early on Saturday. Storm chances are lower on Monday, but a few will still pop up.
Those storms don’t mean you have to cancel all of your plans for the 4th. You can spend at least part of the afternoon outdoors since showers will be isolated. In the evening showers are still present but storm chances drop. This is the kind of situation where you should make a rain plan rather than cancelling any events altogether.
Usually when we have a few days of storms ahead of a cold front we at least get a break from after the front comes through. This week we don’t have that luxury. The front moves through on Sunday, but warm air from our southwest fills right back in and keeps highs around 90 well into next week. Temperatures will stay above average all the way through the 10th of July.
Stay cool and hydrated if you head outdoors either this weekend or any time next week. Even on cloudy days make sure to wear sunscreen if you are outside for any length of time. UV rays stay strong through Wednesday. Keep up to date through the holiday weekend by downloading our weather app for the latest forecasts and alerts.