ROANOKE, Va. – Rain started well before dawn, and it takes until midnight for us to truly dry out. Even once we do there are isolated showers Saturday and a rainy cold front arriving Sunday.
Rain moves northeast consistently in the late morning. Skies stay cloudy, but showers are hard to come by for a few hours.
By 3:00 PM rain develops just west of us bring some heavy rain and possibly storms in the late afternoon. The severe risk is low, but some high winds could develop. Several power outages were reported early today so be prepared for more in the afternoon.
The heavier rain starts easing up by 5:00 PM. East of Roanoke the showers stay rather light; the northern counties of the NRV have the best storm chance.
There are very few showers left in the evening. By midnight most are dry with only a few showers coming Saturday.
There is not much energy available for storms to develop. Winds stay under 10 mph from noon to midnight, and there is little heat available for fuel.
Consistently cloudy skies keep temperatures below average. Highs are in the 60s just about everywhere (a few towns in Southside reach 70). Saturday’s sunshine brings temperatures up a few degrees just before Sunday’s cold front drags them back down.
Rain totals are mostly above 1 inch while below 2 inches. Nelson and Amherst counties have the best chance of seeing more than 2 inches. The NRV, while it has the best chance for storms, has some of the lowest rain totals.
The Storm Prediction Center keeps us in a Level 1 risk for today. The worst storms are well to our west as fronts move through Texas.
Sunday’s cold front could bring thunder, but the severe risk stays south and east of us. If you’re traveling to the Carolina beaches you might want to think about rescheduling.
Rain stays away Monday with limited midweek showers. Temperatures stay cool behind Sunday’s front: highs are in the 60s until the end of the week.