2008.12.30
A windy shot of cold air will arrive on the last day of 2008
You may have heard the wind roaring through the trees and shaking some things last night behind a Pacific cold front. We're going to get another round of gusty winds overnight and during the day Wednesday as a strong Arctic cold front pushes through the area. A wind advisory is out from midnight to 9 p.m. Wednesday for most of Southwest Virginia west of the Blue Ridge; a high wind warning is in effect for those especially high-elevation areas in Carroll and Grayson counties. This will be a decidely colder blast of air that will bring seasonable winter chill back to our region, with lows in the teens and 20s and highs in the 30s and 40s. A few snow showers are possible on Wednesday, especially in the favored upslope areas of eastern West Virginia. By Friday, some freezing rain and sleet may be possible as moisture with a new storm system advances into some of this cold air ... though the low pressure system passing to the north will likely draw enough mild, moist Gulf air to push things above freezing pretty quickly. Expect to see several shots of cold air like this over the next couple of weeks as our pattern transitions into something a little more wintry.
Follow the latest on the National Weather Service-Blacksburg Web site.
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Kevin, how much of a chance would you estimate that Roanoke Valley area lower elevations will see winds tomorrow that would even be close to what happened during the February 10 super windstorm? Or is this "just" going to be another very windy day, with individual gusts in the 40 mph range?
Comment by Doug Griggs — December 30, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Little chance of a Feb. 10 repeat. Don't have the same kind of low-altitude wind max moving through we did that day. I would say we'd see a few gusts over 40 mph, maybe a 50ish one here and there. The 60 mph gusts will be confined to higher elevations.
Comment by kevinmyatt — December 30, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
Well, it's not a Feb. 10 repeat, but we have seen 60 mph gusts in a much more widespread area than earlier projected. An appropriate ending to 2008.
Comment by kevinmyatt — December 31, 2008 @ 10:20 am
We are getting snow on the back side of the building. The front side is clear. I'm trying to get my son to go hiking this afternoon.
Comment by Henry — December 31, 2008 @ 10:24 am