2009.07.24
A genuinely hot day may be on tap for Saturday
I wrote in Weather Journal today about the unusually cool summer across much of the eastern and northern U.S. That's what could make Saturday a rare event this July: It has a chance to be Roanoke's second 90-degree day of 2009 (provided today doesn't shoot well above the projected high in the mid 80s). Ironically, the approach of a cold front may be part of the reason Saturday could be so hot, as winds turn southwest ahead of the front and sweep in hotter air, warmed a little more by downslope effects crossing the mountains. The front's arrival just to our west on Sunday could trigger a round of thunderstorms, some of which may be severe.
Overall, the next week looks to be a bit warmer than we've gotten used to, but even at that most days will be right at or a little below the normal high/low of 88/66 for the Star City. It will probably be warm enough to keep July 2009 from being the coolest on record, but not enough to pull it away from being among the 10 or so coolest Julys, going back to 1912.
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We missed 90 by 1 degree today in Roanoke, with a high of 89. Thunderstorm activity is getting an early start just to our west, mainly in West Virginia and Kentucky, as a cold front approaches. Let's keep an eye on that this evening to see if it manages to slip into our region.
Comment by Kevin Myatt — July 25, 2009 @ 5:37 pm