ROANOKE, Va. – Thursday starts with rain and a lot more clouds than what we saw Wednesday, but this actually leads to less storms than yesterday afternoon. The extra sun early on Wednesday helped add energy to the atmosphere, but these clouds will keep us cooler and make it harder for storms to develop. There still is a chance for storms, but they will be less intense and less widespread. The main threat today is localized flooding, but some damaging wind can develop.
Showers are most widespread in the late morning. By the early afternoon the Highlands are starting to dry out. The cold front driving our storms sinks further and further south in the afternoon.
Once that front moves into North Carolina it makes it hard for any moisture from the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean to reach us. Instead cooler and less humid air coming from the north fills the space and keeps us pleasant. The high pressure behind the front holds clouds down and keeps us clear Friday and Saturday.
The air coming behind the front keeps temperatures seasonable into the start of next week. Average highs in Roanoke this time of year are in the mid 50s, and highs either reach that mark or stay in the low 80s through Monday.
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Some extra clouds develop Sunday with isolated showers. These showers don’t bring enough to rain out any outdoor plans you have on Sunday, but be sure to grab an umbrella if you head out in the afternoon. Monday brings a few extra showers and some storms.
If I had to pick one day this week that looked the best for going to the pool I would pick Saturday. Temperatures are mild, skies are bright blue, humidity is a little lower than Friday, and any kids that are already back in school can also enjoy the nice weather that day.
Despite the showers at the beginning of the work week there is more sun by Wednesday. Temperatures are consistently in the low 80s with low humidity through the middle of next week.