ROANOKE, Va. – March 2024 has been one of the warmest on record, which is why an early week cold snap will make a big difference.
Following the passage of a cold front, Monday’s highs will only be in the 40s and 50s.
Similar to St. Patrick’s Day, the wind will gust around 20 to 35 mph at times Monday. That sort of wind carries over into Tuesday, leading to bitter wind chills (relatively speaking) early in the morning.
Winds continue to gust Tuesday and Wednesday too. By Wednesday, however, the cold air will have mostly retreated north. This allows our highs to reach the 60s.
The wind calms a bit Thursday ahead of a coastal storm system. This brings in the chance for rain late Friday into early Saturday.
How much rain we get will depend on the storm’s location. A storm onshore would bring more rain and some wind during that time period. A storm farther offshore would bring less.
In most instances similar to this, you tend to see the storm go more west than what long-term data suggests, meaning a more onshore/wetter solution.