Don't worry about Tropical Storm ChantalPosted Jul31, 2007 at 03:47 PMTropical Storm Chantal is well east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, heading northeast over the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Chantal will be absolutely no threat to the United States. Visit the National Hurricane Center Web site for more information on Chantal. A wee little showerPosted Jul31, 2007 at 02:57 PM
Drought moves into Roanoke ValleyPosted Jul30, 2007 at 02:31 PMIf you look closely at the map linked here from the National Drought Mitigation Center, the beige color signifying moderate drought has spread eastward into the western half of Roanoke County and into Salem, while the city of Roanoke and eastern Roanoke County are still in the lesser yellow "abnormally dry" category. That's probably picking hairs a bit too much, but suffice it to say that seriously dry conditions have nudged eastward a tad despite the scattered showers and thunderstorms of the past week. It's just not raining enough in a wide enough area to reverse the drought. 
Another cold front is comingPosted Jul28, 2007 at 12:08 AMAs a weak cold front slides our direction out of the Great Lakes the next couple of days, expect showers and thunderstorms to break out in scattered to numerous fashion in the warm, humid air ahead of it. This front will have a hard time getting through, but probably will by early next week. Don't expect the unseasonably cool air of earlier this week, but temperatures will probably back off a few degrees and continue the recent trend by being slightly below normal. As next week rolls along, I think we may finally see a hotter, drier air mass building in. I don't know if we'll get to a true heat wave, but it would be nice to get some beneficial rains the next few days before a toasty summer period sets in. Fury in a hurryPosted Jul27, 2007 at 12:37 PMUPDATE, 2 PM: A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for all of Southwest Virginia through 8 p.m. Click here for the watch area and statement from the Storm Prediction Center. Beech Mountain in Watauga County, N.C., had 1-inch hail at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, according to a law enforecement report turned into the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. Just 15 minutes later, the storm report went even more beserk. "15 gravel roads watched out. Main highway to the mountain closed by debris. 2 to 3 inches of rain fell betwee 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. ..." Just shows that while most folks will only hear a rumble of thunder and maybe get a little rain in the pop-up storm regime typical in the mid-summer heat and humidity that has re-established itself, a few people will get a tempest. The Storm Prediction Center has put our region under a slight risk of severe weather this afternoon. While things are hot and humid at the surface, it's still unusually cold higher in the atmosphere, and that could trigger some potent storms as the afternoon heating builds. More organized storms developed in the Ohio Valley on Thursday and moved into West Virginia. A 76-mph wind gust was recorded at Charleston, W.Va., overnight and numerous reports of wind damage were received across West Virginia. The storm cluster died before it could reach us. We'll again be in the pop-up storms today and Saturday while also watching to the west to see if any of the organized storm clusters can make it far enough east to affect us. Current National Weather Service-Blacksburg radar
Record cool at the hottest time of yearPosted Jul26, 2007 at 10:37 AMAccording to the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, the five days from July 21 to 25 was the coolest such period on record in Blacksburg and the second coolest in Roanoke, edged out by the July 21-25 period in 2000. Even in Lynchburg, where records go back more than 100 years as opposed to a little more than 50 years in Roanoke and Blacksburg, it was the third coolest July 21-25 on record. As I wrote on Wednesday, this period of time is typically the warmest of the year, but has been made cool this year by an "cutoff low" that trapped cool air over the area for a few days. Humidity has returned now and that is gradually buoying temperatures upward again. We may get back in the 80s today. Deja vu dampnessPosted Jul25, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Click here for the latest National Weather Service-Blacksburg radar. Below are some rainfal totals from Tuesday, many of which are being added to today. It's not been this cool since ...Posted Jul24, 2007 at 09:52 PMRoanoke's high of 72 today was the coolest high we've had since June 15, when on a foggy, dank day it only made 64. The three days of lows in the 50s -- 59 on Saturday, 58 on Sunday, 59 on Monday -- was the first time we had three consecutive days below 60 degrees since May 17-21, when we had four consecutive days with lows 50, 50, 45 and 59. Going into Tuesday, the month was exactly on its average temperature through the first 23 days of the month, at 76.0 degrees. It appears that we are likely to end the month very near normal in temperature, if not a tad below normal. We only got 0.16 inch of rain through 5 p.m. in Roanoke, with some more showers occurring this evening. We could use more, but places to our west that are even more dry than us did get more, some more than an inch. Some needed rain on another mild summer dayPosted Jul24, 2007 at 09:57 AM
July chillPosted Jul23, 2007 at 08:51 AMBlacksburg tied a record low this morning at 50 degrees, equalling the previousmark for July 23 set in 2001. On Sunday morning, Roanoke's low was 58. That was 3 degrees above the previous record, also dating back to 2001. This week overall looks to be cooler than normal, with lots of highs in the 70s and low 80s and lows in the 50s and low 60s. It will gradually get warmer and more humid toward the weekend, and next week still looks pretty darn hot. A beautiful sunset leading to a beautiful weekendPosted Jul21, 2007 at 09:35 PM
A record low?Posted Jul21, 2007 at 04:50 PMThe forecast low for Sunday morning for the Roanoke Valley is the mid 50s. The record low for July 22 is 55 set just a few years back in 2001. So we have a shot at it. Blacksburg's July 22 record low of 47 in 1974 appears to be safe. What's down the roadPosted Jul19, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Between the watch boxesPosted Jul19, 2007 at 07:39 PMUPDATE 8:35 p.m.: A band of storms has just moved across the West Virginia border into part of Craig and Giles counties and is likely to move across the Roanoke and New River valleys within the next couple of hours. Some of these storms have had severe thunderstorm warnings issued for them. The latest from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. 
One severe thunderstorm watch was just east of Roanoke, the other was to the west. Hot day could lead to stormy nightPosted Jul19, 2007 at 11:44 AMExpect hot temperatures this afternoon in the low to mid 90s before a strong cold front moves toward the region tonight and early Friday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of the front as it plows into warm, moist air, and we might even get a squall line through the area during the evening or overnight. Behind the front, a cooler, drier weekend is on tap. Did you miss anything today?Posted Jul18, 2007 at 04:48 PMThere was no thunder or spotty showers or storms today. Drier west winds downsloping off the mountains prevented development. By Thursday, winds will switch back to the southwest, pumping moisture back into the area, and the combination of daytime heating (well into the 90s) and an approaching cold front from the Ohio Valley will again increase the chances of thunderstorms. The weekend is looking really nice -- dry and cooler than normal -- before what may be a long spell of hot weather sets in next week. Another day of scattered severe weatherPosted Jul17, 2007 at 05:57 PMToday brought another round of storms similar to Monday, firing in the afternoon heat but then blowing their wad pretty quickly. The Storm Prediction Center's storm reports map highlights a number of hail and wind reports in Southwest Virginia, including trees blown down at Troutville in Botetourt County and 1-inch hail near Montvale in Bedford County. Catching a severe storm in Bedford CountyPosted Jul16, 2007 at 07:10 PM
The structure of a severe thunderstorm in northern Bedford County on Monday The best looking storm developed to the west of the Parkway along I-81 just north of Buchanan. (You can see Purgatory Mountain near Buchanan in this photo from a parkway overlook.) This storm drifted eastward near the Peaks of Otter, where I caught some heavy rain and gusty winds along the Parkway near Flat Top. Heading down Route 43 on the east side of the Peaks, I heard a severe thunderstorm warning issued for northern Bedford County. I was not surprised, considering the solid structure of the storm, including lowerings that might have indicated weak rotation, (click here and here for photos of that structure) and the frequent lightning. 
A tree blocks Route 122 south of Big Island in Bedford County You can click on the continued line below to see a complete list of severe weather reports in the National Weather Service-Blacksburg's coverage area on Monday. Continue reading "Catching a severe storm in Bedford County" » Some stronger storms possible todayPosted Jul16, 2007 at 10:18 AMThick moisture, strong summer heating, a weak disturbance moving in from Kentucky and West Virginia and the ever-present quirks in instability related to our mountainous terrain will likely lead to scattered to numerous thunderstorms firing this afternoon. Many will have very heavy rain in localized areas, some will have strong winds, a few may have hail, and one or two may become severe. There is a slight risk of severe weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center, to our east in central and eastern Virginia where conditions will be a little more favorable. This is certainly not unusual weather for us in mid-July. While some of you may see flooded ditches and roads today, this will not be the widespread general rains we need to dig us out of the long-term near-drought we're in. Web sites of interestPosted Jul13, 2007 at 11:59 PMI promise in today's Weather Journal column that you can go to my blog and find links to the two Web sites I write about. We're working on getting them linked permanently here along the right rail, but for now, here are the links. Kevin Ray's Roanoke Valley Weather Chip Konrad's Climate Perspectives for the Carolinas and Virginia And while we're at it, here's a bonus site that I didn't write about on Saturday but is quite comprehensive with its weather information.This one is particularly notable for its wide range of area Webcams. Doesn't look good if you want rainPosted Jul12, 2007 at 12:02 AM
The brown color depicts expected below-normal precipitation during the next 2 weeks Torrents of rain amid the drynessPosted Jul10, 2007 at 10:20 PMI didn't see a drop of rain where I live in south Roanoke County. (UPDATE 10:45 p.m.: Not 5 minutes after I wrote this, we got a brief but intense shower of rain) But on the other side of the county there was a ton of rain. A flash flood warning was issued for parts of northern Roanoke city and Roanoke county, and some street flooding was reported at the intersection of Peters Creek and Cove roads, according to the National Weather Service. Today, about half of you in Southwest Virginia saw some rain, and the other half saw nothing, though you may have heard thunder in the distance or saw a few lighning flashes. A few of you got a lot of rain. We'll continue to see this scattered pattern of rain and storms the next couple of days, though perhaps even more numerous as a cold front approaches. It won't break us out of the dryness bordering on drought, but every drop helps -- and every drop hurts in the few flood-prone areas that get a deluge. Some hot weather ... but it may not last too longPosted Jul07, 2007 at 05:40 PM
Meanwhile, the West is expected to continue to broil. Weird weather in other placesPosted Jul05, 2007 at 11:06 PMIt's been pretty much a typical summer in Southwest Virginia ... but some other places are seeing some weird, wild weather. Take for example: Destructive tornadoes in New Zealand Stifling heat throughout much of the West Continued flooding in the southern Plains states Keeping in mind that the southern Plains were parched this time a year ago, it's easy to see how quickly and wildly the weather pendulum can swing. What will the second half of 2007 bring us? Storms firing in Southside VirginiaPosted Jul05, 2007 at 05:13 PM
Strong -- maybe not severe -- storms are likely todayPosted Jul05, 2007 at 11:26 AMWhile the Storm Prediction Center is (as of late morning) targeting an area north of us for the best chance of severe storms (3/4 inch hail, 58 mph-plus winds) today, numerous storms are likely to fire this afternoon and into the evening as a cold front presses into warm, humid air. Some of these storms may be strong, with gusty winds over 40 mph, small hail, heavy rain and frequent lightning. While I would not be surprised to see a few severe storms in our area, the best chance of that will be farther to north with the best jet stream dynamics, including the greater D.C. area that saw rotating storms with large hail, damaging winds, and even a few funnel clouds and at least tornado report on July 4th. (Click here for Storm Reports map from Wednesday) Risk of severe storms today and ThursdayPosted Jul04, 2007 at 10:25 AMUPDATE 10:20 PM: The watch was cancelled long ago. A blob of storms and rain is trying to move at us from the northwest, with the leading edge now near Beckley, W.Va. We'll see if this can hold together overnight. Click here for latest National Weather Service-Blacksburg radar UPDATE 6 PM: A severe thunderstorm watch covers most of Southwest, Southside and Central Virginia through 10 p.m.
Fireworks after the Fourth?Posted Jul01, 2007 at 03:04 PMThe buildup to the Fourth of July looks nice ... cooler and drier at first, then gradually warmer and more humid, just like it ought to be this time of year. After the Fourth, though, it could get interesting. The Storm Prediction Center is flagging this area for a significant threat of severe weather late this week (click here for the 4-8-day severe weather outlook) as a cold front moves southeast into the warmth and humidity. Something to keep an eye on this week. |
