ROANOKE, Va. – Thursday started calm with showers and storms through the afternoon. Friday continues that pattern with storms that present another threat of wind gusts and hail.
The morning stays calm, but by 2:00 PM showers begin to build. Most showers develop in the Highlands in the mid-afternoon.
Storms are at their peak later in the afternoon. The worst storms are in the northern parts of the NRV and Highlands, but storms are possible further south and east.
Showers continue through 8:00 PM, but storms have a harder time developing here after sunset. Some can form, but they are not as widespread as the late afternoon.
The greatest threat for most is the damaging wind in some severe storms. Hail formed with yesterday’s storms and is still possible on Friday. The cooler temperatures help keep the hail chance somewhat lower. The flood chance is low today with a greater chance this weekend.
The cloudy skies and showers prevent temperatures from reaching the 90s for most. This cooling trend continues into the weekend thanks to the consistently cloudy skies.
Rain is heaviest north of US-460 in the afternoon. Most accumulations are less than a quarter-inch with higher amounts in Highland, Greenbrier, and Pocahontas counties in particular.
Dry conditions through much of the last week mean rain can get absorbed on Friday. The more consistent rain on Saturday means the flood risk is higher as we start the weekend.
Showers continue into Sunday when both the flood and storm risk drop. We dry out early in the week with temperatures close to average.
A cold front coming in the middle of the week means another round of storms; the severe threat is low for now. Behind that front high pressure helps to steer Hurricane Lee away from the US.