Summer officially begins Thursday; heat intensifies shortly after

High temperatures get close to record levels this coming weekend

ROANOKE, Va. – Summer officially begins at 4:51 p.m. Thursday, when the sun’s rays are directly over the Tropic of Cancer (23°N Latitude).

This is the day when we see the most daylight out of the year - 14 hours and 44 minutes to be exact.

We’ll make use of that daylight the next two days, as high temperatures reach into the 80s and 90s.

High temperature forecast through Friday, 6/21/2024

It’s the weekend when things turn even hotter. If you must work outside, try to limit it to the early morning or early evening hours.

Try to limit your work outside to the early hours of the day this weekend.

We’re tracking near-record heat. Highs in the mountains hit the upper 80s and lower 90s, while Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside hit the mid (possibly upper) 90s each afternoon.

Near-record heat in the forecast this weekend

Download the new-and-improved weather app here to get updates on this weekend’s heat.

A weak front may trigger some isolated storms late Sunday and early Monday. Aside from that, rain chances are slim.

A few storms will be possible late Sunday and early Monday.

You would expect a cool-down after a cold front, but that doesn’t often happen in the summer months.

In fact, the Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 Day Temperature Outlook shows a high chance of heat again next week.

Hotter weather is on tap again next week.

Another dome of high pressure camps out over the Eastern U.S. mid-to-late next week, which will lead to plenty of more 90° heat.


About the Author

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.

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