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UPDATE NOON SATURDAY: A tornado watch is in effect for northern Virginia and surrounding states, as this statement and map from the Storm Prediction Center shows. We'll see how and if any of this threat spreads our way later today.

Severe weather has been dogging the central U.S. for much of the last nine days. Some of that threat will extend eastward toward Virginia on Saturday as a cold front approaches the region. As the inset map shows, areas in red with a slightly higher risk of severe weather (30 percent within 30 miles of any given point), the higher chances of severe weather will be to the west and east of us. To the east, a weak area of low pressure developing east of the mountains might pull enough backed winds from the east to create some rotation that could lead to large hail, strong winds and perhaps a few tornadoes. We'll have to watch on Saturday to see where these storms begin developing, whether they will be along or just east of the Blue Ridge. A larger complex of storms from the west may affect Southwest Virginia late in the afternoon or in the evening, bringing a threat of gusty winds and some hail. Now that temperatures are climbing into the 80s and some moisture is returning, we shouldn't be surprised by occasional threats of thunderstorms, some of which could be severe from time to time.

Check the Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service at Blacksburg on Saturday for the latest on severe weather threats in our area.