Roaring windsPosted Nov30, 2006 at 10:22 PMStrong winds are going to be whipped up across our area by the powerful storm, aided by our abruptly rising and widely varied terrain. This map from the National Weather Service on Thursday evening shows expected top wind gusts across the region. A middle-U.S. messPosted Nov30, 2006 at 05:36 PMClick here for a weather map depicting today's ongoing weather. Can you find any kinds of inclement weather that are NOT happening today. That will be coming our way on Friday ... expect some very gusty winds, brief heavy rains, maybe some thunder, and then a dramatic end to the recent warmth. When the Arctic meets the Gulf of MexicoPosted Nov29, 2006 at 05:31 PM
Click here for a map of winter weather watches and warnings. It's headed our way later in the week for an abrupt change in the weather. The potential exists for heavy rain and severe weather on Friday. Will there be snow by late in the weekend? Stay tuned. Warmth will end spectacularlyPosted Nov28, 2006 at 03:04 PMThe warm spell will be ending late this week (Thursday or Friday) with lots of snow and severe thunderstorms across the nation ... though there's a pretty good chance we won't get either one. A strong low will wind up along a cold front in the middle part of the nation as Arctic air from Canada and warm air from the south collide. In our area, we'll probably see some gusty winds and rain on Thursday night and Friday as the front begins slamming through. Don't be surprised to hear some thunder, though, and don't be surprised to see a few flakes of snow later in the weekend after the front goes by. A few links for the latest projections on the developing storm: Latest rainfall forecasts from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center Latest winter weather outlook from Hydrometeorological Prediction Center Warm days, cold nightsPosted Nov27, 2006 at 03:45 PMYou may have noticed that even though the last couple of days have been unseasonably mild in the afternoon, the mornings have still been cold and frosty. Roanoke's low on Sunday was 32, and it fell to 35 this morning, before rebounding into the upper 60s each day. The atmosphere is extremely stable and dry right now, which allows for quick heating and loss of heating, depending on the sunlight or lack thereof. A more humid atmosphere warms and cools more slowly, as the water vapor absorbs heat more slowly but holds on to it longer. As the week progresses, the atmosphere will slowly moisten, so nighttime lows will gradually moderate as the warmup continues through at least Wednesday. November will end warmPosted Nov24, 2006 at 06:17 PMOur two-month string of averaging below normal temperatures for the month is over. Already more than a degree above normal for the month at Roanoke Regional Airport, every day remaining in November is likely to be several degrees above the normal high temperatures in the low to mid 50s. I wouldn't even rule out temperatures challenging some record highs in the low to mid 70s on a couple of those days, though mid and upper 60s will be the rule. Next week is likely to be a very dynamic weather week nationally. A strong low pressure system will be poised to wind up in the nation's heartland, causing a blizzard over the northern Rockies and northern Plains, and touching off heavy rain and severe weather in the South. For a few days, this low will do nothing but pump warm air our way, as we enjoy mostly sunny weather. Late in the week, though, we'll pay the piper as the low drags a strong cold front through, and on the heels of rain, wind and storms, temperatures will take an abrupt tumble to start December. What a snowstorm this could have beenPosted Nov22, 2006 at 06:43 PM
Stunning scene over RoanokePosted Nov21, 2006 at 05:22 PM
UPDATE 11/22, 5 P.M>Click here for a similar shot taken by David Gravell on Tuesday evening near Shawsville Snow photos from MondayPosted Nov21, 2006 at 02:39 PM
Snow on the trees (bigger version of inset photo) Snowflakes in the air, reflected by sunlight, with my dog Cindy at a parkway overlook Coastal stormPosted Nov21, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Parts of South Carolina saw some snow, even briefly heavy snow, this morning as the system began to push its rain shield inland, but for the most part, the cold air isn't deep enough and there isn't enough of a connection to the Arctic for this to become a major winter storm. Most of its effects will slip east of our area, with only a few showers and some chilly north winds spinning around it. It's an impressive cold-season storm, nonetheless. Some snow, but not muchPosted Nov20, 2006 at 09:39 AMSnowflakes were in the air overnight this morning in a lot of areas to the west and southwest of the Roanoke Valley. Temperatures in the valley hovered around 40 degrees, so if anything did make it down this far, it was probably just a few sprinkles. Snowfall amounts of no greater than about an inch have been reported even in the favored upslope snow belts along the Virginia-West Virginia border. So this one played out about like it was expected to. The next big weather story will likely be the development of a strong low pressure system off the southeast coast that may not go anywhere very fast. It doesn't look like it will be cold enough for winter weather concerns, but could be a travel mess of wind and rain especially if you have plans toward the coast of North Carolina or Virginia. More on this later. Upslope snow eventPosted Nov18, 2006 at 07:20 PM
 For the latest national snow forecasts, including projected areas of heavy snow, visit the HPC's Winter Weather Page. Sunday-Monday snow chancesPosted Nov18, 2006 at 12:40 AMIn Weather Journal today, I wrote about the chances of snow in our area for Sunday night and Monday. They're not especially good, but some things are in place that if a little changes here and there, some snow could fall in many parts of the area. This map that ran with the column (click here ... it's a PDF) shows what will be in place and what needs to happen to change things. Personally, I think we're at least 3 weeks away from widespread measurable snow in this area ... but I'll keep watching this, as promised, and let you know if anything changes. How much rain fell?Posted Nov17, 2006 at 12:04 PMThe strong storm system that moved through Wednesday and Thursday brought heavy rainfall to our region, generally 1 to 3 inches, with scattered reports of flooding. Below is a list from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg of rainfall amounts in its forecast area, that includes much of Southwest Virginia, southeast West Virginia and northwest North Carolina. A rough nightPosted Nov16, 2006 at 12:29 PMSouthwest Virginia had some scattered reports of flooding and wind damage from overnight heavy rain and a few thunderstorms ... but states to our south experienced much more destructive and deadly weather overnight. Click here for story. Big storm moving inPosted Nov15, 2006 at 06:00 PM
A few maps to click on: Stay tuned to the latest on the National Weather Service-Blacksburg Web site. You can follow the specfics of this particular storm by clicking here. Powerhouse stormPosted Nov14, 2006 at 02:25 PMA powerful low pressure system is getting ready to wind up in the nation's mid-section that will bring a variety of weather to the nation ... severe weather today in the lower Mississippi River valley, snow for parts of the Rockies today and even as far south and east as the middle Mississippi River valley near St. Louis on Wednesday, and a boat load of rain for us come Wednesday night into Thursday. When one storm system is doing all of that, you know it has a lot of energy and temperature difference in it. High winds at Fancy GapPosted Nov12, 2006 at 08:32 PMThere are reports of multiple trucks being blown off the road tonight on Interstate 77 at Fancy Gap in Carroll County. The National Weather Service estimates the wind gusts at 60 mph, and has issued a high wind warning for Carroll County. There were pretty gusty winds many other places today after a cold front moved thorugh Saturday night, but nothing on that order. The atmosphere has a lot of energy right now. More topsy-turvy weather is likely the next several days. Record highs, two days straightPosted Nov11, 2006 at 05:26 PMRoanoke's high of 78 on Friday beat the old record of 75 in 1975, and today's high of 79 beat the old record of 77 set in 1985. Blacksburg also set a new record today, hitting 74, topping the old record of 72 in 1975. A week ago, Roanoke set a record low of 24. The seesaw continues ... the cold front is on the way tonight with showers and some thunderstorms (maybe a little late for the Virginia Tech game, blowing my call of that game as the "bad weather game of the week" on TimesCast), then colder weather for Sunday. Snow will fly in the highest mountains along the Virginia-West Virginia border and points west. Up and down it goes, where it stops, nobody knows. Temperature rollercoasterPosted Nov10, 2006 at 11:17 AMWe set a record low last weekend ... we could challenge a record high today in Roanoke. The record high for Nov. 10 is 75 set in 1975, and we've got a chance to tie or break that, though I'm guessing we'll fall a degree or two short. Then, after rain on Saturday in front of an approaching cold front, the bottom falls out again, though not as far as week. Expect blustery winds and chilly weather to return Saturday night and Sunday, just cold enough for a few snow showers in those favored mountain upslope areas. Cold start to NovemberPosted Nov08, 2006 at 05:48 PMThrough Tuesday, Roanoke's average temperature for the first week of November is 5.3 degrees below normal. With a week or two of frequent mild to warm weather likely as the jet stream roars in off the Pacific Ocean, it will be interesting to see if November can become the third month in a row with below normal temperatures in Roanoke. That will probably hinge on what happens beyond this mild spell ... whether it will be reinforced for the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond, or whether cold air will return. Still mixed signals on that. Tornado kills 9 in JapanPosted Nov07, 2006 at 06:04 PMTornadoes are very rare in Japan, but the one that hit there today was the most deadly on record for the island nation. Click here for story. Rain signals regime changePosted Nov07, 2006 at 11:20 AM
The changing flow of the northern branch of the jet stream Record lows for Nov. 4Posted Nov04, 2006 at 11:33 AMRoanoke's low of 24 set a new record for Nov. 4, beating the old record of 25 set in 1991. Lynchburg also set a record, with a low of 21, colder than the previous record of 23 set in 1966. Danville, with a low of 23, tied its record low, also set in 1966. The frost was so thick in many areas this morning, it looked like a light snowfall. The warmup is coming. I promise. Give it a few days. A typical early January dayPosted Nov03, 2006 at 05:34 PMRoanoke's high today was 46, some 16 degrees below normal for Nov. 3, and the low was 30, 10 degrees below normal. Blacksburg's high of 41 was 18 degrees below normal and the low of 24 was 10 degrees below normal. Compare these readings to the normal for the first week of January, when the temperature spread averages 45/27 at Roanoke, and 41/21 at Blacksburg. Another extreme feature of today's weather was how dry it is. The 5 p.m. dew point at Roanoke is 9 degrees, making the humidity 24 percent. Click here for latest hourly observations at Roanoke Regional Airport. In the freezerPosted Nov02, 2006 at 09:44 PMIf for some reason you have any tender vegetation outside after all the cold nights of October, get it in now. The next three or four nights will see temperatures drop well into the 20s over most of Southwest Virginia, and I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see an 18 or a 19, maybe even a 15 or 16, from some remote mountain location. That warmup is coming, but it'll take a few days. Rain moving inPosted Nov01, 2006 at 08:10 PMThe next cold front is shoving some pretty heavy showers toward our area tonight. (Click here for current National Weather Service radar). Behind this comes a few days of cold, crisp, clear air in this extremely gorgeous fall season. Then, the warm air I wrote about below ... which in a strange way, might help the trees hold their colors for a longer time than usual. Red statesPosted Nov01, 2006 at 06:15 PM
We'll have to see then whether the cold air can re-establish itself as we approach Thanksgiving. |
About this blog
Kevin Myatt works on the copy desk for The Roanoke Times and is its principal weather geek, writing a weekly weather column and advising the newsroom on weather topics. He helps guide students on a storm chasing trip to the central U.S. each May and was an editor for "Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States." .....Advertisement.....
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