ROANOKE, Va. – The hopes and prayers for rain are being answered Tuesday, with a soaking rain that will last on and off throughout the evening.
Though this is great news, the Virginia Department of Forestry says this a) may not eliminate the drought and b) may not lift all burn bans.
Still, the last time we saw an inch of rain from a single storm in the Roanoke Valley was on Sept. 7, which was 75 days ago.
Rain starts widespread during the morning commute, and it will stay that way through lunchtime on Tuesday.
As a warm front lifts north, we may see a few dry pockets heading into the early afternoon.
Moisture from the southwest gradually fills in, resulting in more widespread rain after 4 or 5 p.m. A few thunderstorms will be possible in the “warmer” air across Southside between roughly 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Be sure to download our free weather app to stay on top of the rain and where it falls heaviest.
When all is said and done, we’re looking at 1 to 3″ of rain on Tuesday. This is a huge step in the right direction toward chipping away at the drought.
Wednesday is a big travel day ahead of Thanksgiving, and there will still be rain along and east of I-95. Most of us will be dry, and that will stay the case through Black Friday.
The northern and southern half of the upper-level air pattern are disjointed, meaning that widespread precipitation chances are slim through Sunday.
That may change heading into early next week.