ROANOKE, Va. – Friday is the last calm, dry day until the middle of next week. If there are any last minute holiday plans you need to get done Friday is the best day for them.
There is a light breeze that develops in the afternoon. Gusts stay under 20 mph. You’ll notice the breeze if you’re standing outdoors, but your gas mileage stays unaffected.
Saturday starts the rainy stretch that lasts into next week. Most rain falls Saturday and Sunday with light showers leftover Monday and Tuesday.
It takes a while for the rain to arrive Saturday. The morning starts cloudy but dry. Winds are calm in the first part of the day before the rain arrives.
Showers spread north after 3:00 PM. The system moves rather slowly so some counties in the Highlands can stay dry until sunset.
Showers come back Sunday and Monday. The clouds each day limit highs to the 60s for most. A few temperatures get back to the 70s Monday while staying below average.
Rainfall concentrates in southern counties. Some locations get more than an inch of rain. North of US-460 rain totals are limited keeping most under a quarter-inch.
Storms stay well to our west through the weekend. We stay out of the Level 1 risk Saturday while storms develop again in Texas and New Mexico.
Storm chances cover even less area Sunday. Storms stay well west of us in the plains. Some rumbles of thunder are possible especially early Sunday, but the severe risk is low.
This weekend’s rain will help our abnormally dry counties get closer to average yearly rainfall at this time. None of us are in a severe drought right now, and this extra moisture helps to prevent drought later in the year.
Another benefit of the rain is reduced pollen. The consistent rain helps absorb pollen in the air and prevents it from spreading away from plants themselves. Once we dry out those pollen levels shoot up quickly.
Showers start moving out Tuesday leaving us with sunshine and plenty of warmth. Highs go from below average this weekend to well above by Thursday.