Sunday potential fizzles; cold air aloft may trigger storms todayPosted Jun30, 2008 at 01:04 AM
Don't be surprised if a few more storms develop today as unseasonably cold air flows in to many layers of the atmosphere above the surface, allowing any remnant moisture to bubble into it with daytime heating. With the freezing level so low, hail will be a possibility with any storm that develops today. The rest of the week looks mostly dry, and rather cool for this time of year, with some lows in the 50s by Tuesday morning. Will clouds dampen severe threat some?Posted Jun29, 2008 at 01:36 PMMany ingredients for severe thunderstorms are in place today -- moisture, relatively strong winds aloft, and an approaching strong cold front to lift air upward. Heating, which provides instability as colder air moves in aloft, is a bit lacking right now, as clouds from last night's storm have blocked much of the sunlight. Temperatures are holding in the 70s in much of the Roanoke and New River valleys. Still, as the afternoon progresses, expect to see thunderstorms develop. South and east of us -- Southside Virginia, the Piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina -- may have the best shot at severe weather, where it is hotter, but I would not be surprised to see some storms fire along the cold front and move in late this afternoon. Also ... there's still a few hours for the sun to break out and get things cooking a little more. Stormy weekend ahead in many states, including VirginiaPosted Jun27, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Gust front over Roanoke shortly after noon It was an extremely rough day around Nebraska and Iowa, where the Omaha, Neb.-Council Bluffs, Iowa, was hammered by winds up to 100 mph and baseball-sized hail, causing widespread power outages and killing at least 2 when a tree fell on a car. This was caused by the same cold front that will be approaching us the next couple of days, plowing into hot, humid air. With this clash of air masses, lots of ouflow boundaries left from storms the last two days, a series of upper-level impulses moving ahead fo the cold front, and daytime heat and moisture bubbling into cooler air aloft, Saturday and Sunday appear likely to produce additional rounds of storms in our area. With wind dynamics picking up above us, these storms may become more organized and severe weather may be more widespread throughout the East. Damaging winds and large hail appear to be the main threats, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some tornado reports, too. Keep an eye on the sky this weekend. Yet another storm cluster moving toward RoanokePosted Jun27, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Weather service radar, about 3 p.m. I was out in the brunt of the midday storm and got some photos I will post later tonight. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for most of Virginia until 8 p.m. as a moderately unstable air mass and some wind support aloft are firing storm clusters capable to strong winds and large hail. Cluster of storms may affect Roanoke area about noonPosted Jun27, 2008 at 10:58 AM
National Weather Service radar about 11 a.m. Storm blows over the Roanoke Valley; some wind damagePosted Jun26, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Ominous, spiral-like storm base over northern Roanoke/Roanoke County The National Weather Service in Blacksburg has received a report of trees down one-half mile west of the Roanoke Regional Airport, in the Loch Haven area. I observed winds gusting no higher than 50 mph, which kicked up some dust in downtown Roanoke, and we got very little rain downtown. The storm appeared to break up into two or three small but intense cells as it came over the valley, and some of these little cells may have been new storms that fired along outflow winds that were kicked out by previous storms. The most significant report of damage turned into the National Weather Service in Blacksburg so far was a report of numerous trees down in Pembroke in Giles County, which may have been the result of a microburst. 
An anvil cloud on the storm after it passed through the Roanoke Valley Please let me know with a comment below or an email to me if you had any kind of significant wind damage, hail or any other interesting weather observations. UPDATE FRIDAY 6/2, 4:40 P.M.: Scott Martin sent two photos (linked in blue within this update) of wind damage at Smith Mountain Lake. He said about 10 trees were blown down by straight-line winds on Thursday. ADDED FRIDAY 6/27, 10:45 A.M.: In the extended entry below, Thursday's severe weather reports turned into the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. Continue reading "Storm blows over the Roanoke Valley; some wind damage" » Strong storm could affect Roanoke Valley if it holds togetherPosted Jun26, 2008 at 04:19 PM
As always, please leave a comment or email me if you experience any significant weather. Photo caption: National Weather Service radar at 4:20 p.m. The heat and the humidity start to buildPosted Jun26, 2008 at 11:33 AMWednesday's high in Roanoke reached 90, the first 90-degree high in nine days, and it'll probably be similarly hot today. Humidity is also building, with the dew point getting close to 60 again. The combination of heat and humidity will start to trigger a few afternoon thundrestorms today and Friday. The bigger threat of storms will occur over the weekend as a cold front approaches. The Storm Prediction Center has placed our area in a slight risk of severe weather for Saturday. Cool morning, hot afternoonPosted Jun24, 2008 at 10:34 PMAfter widespread morning lows in the 50s, temperatures will likely rebound to about 90 degrees in the Roanoke Valley on Wednesday afternoon. Very dry air has established itself in the area after the weekend front, and this allows for rapid cooling and warming of the air compared to more humid conditions. We could see the low 90s on Thursday and Friday as humidity also slowly builds. After our June 4-10 heat wave, it's only managed to hit 90 in Roanoke twice in the two weeks since. Our last 90-degree day was on June 16. The weekend deserves a little attention for severe thunderstorm potential, as an approaching cold front accompanied by some upper-level cold air and wind dynamics will be moving into building heat and humidity. It's a long way off with a lot of details to work out. Several warm to hot, dry days are likely between now and then. Dry air squelches storms in our areaPosted Jun23, 2008 at 06:53 PMIf you've been outside much today, you've probably noticed how dry the air feels. That lack of humidity is the reason storms have not been able to develop in most of Southwest Virginia too. The dew point at Roanoke as of 6 p.m. was 50 degrees. Sunday's storms wrung out a lot of moisture and kicked out some outflow winds that pushed a lot of the moisture eastward. Also, westerly winds today have been blowing downslope, drying them out. Storms have developed as close as the Greensboro area and some of Southside Virginia near Danville, where moisture is thicker. Also, storms have developed in West Virginia where cold air aloft is creating greater instability and there are better wind dynamics aloft for storms to become organized. There is some chance a few of these storms could drift into the area later tonight, but with such dry air in place, it's doubtful that we'll get much out of them. Drier air looks to hang around a few days, with little chance of rain or thunderstorms until late in the week. Severe thunderstorms possible again todayPosted Jun23, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Parts of Roanoke, Blacksburg, other areas hammered by hailPosted Jun22, 2008 at 06:44 PM
This photo from Jesica Clements shows a jagged, roughly quarter-sized hailstone that fell near Wasena Park in Roanoke Another storm about 8:30 p.m. at Blacksburg produced large hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter. The storm exhibited some weak rotation on radar as it moved through Giles and Montgomery counties, but then became dominated by outflow winds and weakened as it moved toward the Roanoke Valley and points eastward. Hailstorm video from LoLo Monae of Roanoke Hail covering front porch by Josh Jackson in Roanoke My photo of a multi-tiered shelf cloud moving over Salem about 1:45 p.m. Hail covering a walk way by John Jackson in Roanoke William Ingram uses a snow shovel to remove hail in Blacksburg, submitted by his father Hank Ingram In the extended entry below is a long list of severe weather reports across the area from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. You can also click here to see a listing and map of severe reports nationally from the Storm Prediction Center. Continue reading "Parts of Roanoke, Blacksburg, other areas hammered by hail" » Yes, the hot weather will returnPosted Jun20, 2008 at 02:42 PMThe relatively cool air mass that has settled over us the past few days is slowly moderating. We will probably see highs more in the low to even mid 80s in Roanoke over the weekend into early next week rather than in the 70s. So, with lows around 60, temperatures will be just about where they should be this time of year, maybe a hint cooler. The slightly cooler air will get a little bit of a reinforcement over the weekend, and that could be enough to trigger some thunderstorms as it clashes with somewhat warmer, more humid air over us. (By the way ... Rick Post of Wytheville pointed me to some automated thermometer readings between Rural Retreat and Wytheville in the low 40s each of the last three mornings ... now that's chilly for June!) 
Cooler than normal weather likely to persist into early next weekPosted Jun19, 2008 at 09:57 AMWednesday's low was 53 in Roanoke, 49 in Blacksburg. Roanoke made it at least as low as 56 this morning, while Blacksburg again dipped into the upper 40s, at least as low as 48 at Virginia Tech's airport. Below-normal temperatures are going to continue through early next week. Highs today and Friday may reach the low 80s in Roanoke. The normal high is 83, so that would be no better than normal. By the weekend, a reinforcing shot of cool air is due to arrive from Canada, pushing highs back down into the 70s and lows back into low to mid 50s, with some 40s to the west of Roanoke. The cool pattern will only slowly unwind next week, as more typical June warmth and humidity return. Plenty cool for June, but probably not record-breakingPosted Jun17, 2008 at 11:14 PMLows are projected in the low to mid 50s for each morning from Wednesday to Friday in Roanoke, possibly into the weekend. Lows could even be cooler in more rural mountain and valley areas. Roanoke's record lows for the next three mornings are 46 for June 18, set in 1959; 48 for June 19, set in 1999; and 53 for June 20, set in 1935, 1954 and 1965. So as you can see, Friday would have the best shot at a record low in Roanoke. Record lows are unlikely both Wednesday and Thursday. Normal lows are about 60 this time of year. And now, the cool wave beginsPosted Jun17, 2008 at 10:48 AMMost of Monday's bigger storms were farther north. According to some reports, hail covered the ground like snow in areas to the north of Charlottesville, and there were numerous wind damage reports. Here's a listing of Mondayh's severe weather reports from the Storm Prediction Center. Today's high in the low 80s in Roanoke could well make this the warmest day the rest of the week, with temperatures struggling to make 80 the rest of the week. Enjoy it ... while the unseasonably cool weather is likely to last several days, we all know that torrid summer heat will return sooner or later. The cost of cooler weather: A severe storm threatPosted Jun16, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Gusty winds, heavy rains common in storms SaturdayPosted Jun14, 2008 at 11:59 PMAs expected, strong winds and heavy rain were common in thunderstorms that occurred Saturday, though there were a handful of pretty large hail reports, too. Today should see much less shower and thunderstorm activity,as a weak cold front has pushed through, but there could be more again on Monday as a much stronger cold front arrives in the area. That front will be the leading edge of a major pattern change that will bring unseasonably cool weather to the area later this week. The extended entry below contains severe weather reports in the area from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. Continue reading "Gusty winds, heavy rains common in storms Saturday" » Some storms may have strong winds todayPosted Jun14, 2008 at 01:34 PMThe combination of daytime heating, lingering humidity, terrain effects and an approaching cold front may trigger some strong to locally severe storms in Southwest Virginia this afternoon. Upper-level winds are not that strong, so widespread severe weather and rotating storms capable of large hail and tornadoes are unlikely. But some storms could unleash damaging wind gusts in small areas or kick out some small hail, and many storms will unload some torrential rain on localized areas while places not far away remain dry. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a mesoscale discussion for much of western and central Virginia today for this severe weather threat, but says that a severe thunderstorm watch is not anticipated. We've had too little rain, others have had far too muchPosted Jun13, 2008 at 06:04 PMIn Iowa, they've had far too much rain. A Roanoke-sized city in eastern Iowa, Cedar Rapids, has much of its central business district under water. It's all part of a seemingly continuous pattern of heavy rain and severe storms that has raked the Plains and Upper Midwest.Click here for the latest from the Associated Press. The problem is the reverse in our region, where wildfires in both North Carolina and Virginia, including one on Poor Mountain, are burning vegetation and smoking up the air. While the most severe drought is a little to the south of our area,, over the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia, the Roanoke and New River valleys and points south are considered to be in moderate drought. It does look to get much cooler next week, but not a lot wetter. The principal rain threats the next several days will remain in the central part of the U.S In the meantime, the wind flow the next couple of days is likely to change enough to blow away North Carolina's smoke. Then, we'll only have our own to deal with. Another bad air day for Southwest VirginiaPosted Jun13, 2008 at 11:01 AMThough the smoke from the big eastern North Carolina wildfire is no longer blowing right at us, some of it remains trapped under high pressure, and the Poor Mountain fire and other smaller widlfires are adding to it. Combine that with the regular ozone and haze also being trapped near the surface, and it adds up to a day with bad air quality. The Virginia Department of Enviromental Quality has declared the Roanoke region under a Code Orange air quality day, which advises everyone to limit time outside today, especially those most sensitive to airborne pollution. A cold front over the weekend should help clear the air. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon as well, a few of which could bring torrential rainfall, gusty winds and small hail. I would not be surprised to see a couple of severe thunderstorm warnings issued, though a large outbreak is unlikely. Forecasts are a little smoky tonightPosted Jun12, 2008 at 03:47 PM
The Climate Prediction Center's Hazards Assessment map continues to focus on fire and drought not far from us through late month. The weather service advises that those with chronic respiratory illnesses should avoid being outside until the smoke dissipates, which may occur Friday. Another nightmare severe weather night in the PlainsPosted Jun12, 2008 at 11:19 AMA large, powerful tornado moving into a Boy Scout camp would be a nightmare ... and yet that's exactly what happened in Iowa last night, with four deaths and more than 40 injuries. Two more people were killed in Kansas on another ferocious severe weather night in the central U.S., and Kansas State University's campus was hit by a tornado. Associated Press article on Wednesday night's storms Wednesday's severe weather reports from the Storm Prediction Center Severe weather reports from TuesdayPosted Jun11, 2008 at 04:33 PMThere were several severe weather reports from storms that developed on Tuesday afternoon as a weak cold front pushed into hot, sticky air in the area. A preliminary list of severe reports from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg is provided in the extended entry below. Also, here's a link to some photos about a fire started on a mountain along the Craig-Botetourt county line by lightning. National Weather Service severe reports below: A much cooler weather pattern ahead?Posted Jun11, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Heat-breaking front may trigger severe thunderstormsPosted Jun10, 2008 at 10:58 AM
The front should put an end to this particular heat wave after today's high rise into the 90s. Getting back to more typical June weatherPosted Jun10, 2008 at 12:58 AMToday, we begin to transition back into more of a typical June pattern ... warm to hot, sticky days with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms have fired each of the past three days, a few of which have even been severe with damaging winds and penny- to quarter-sized hail. With moisture returning and hot high pressure slowly moving away, allowing a cold front to edge closer, we'll see an increase in shower and thunderstorm activity the next few days. Today may still quite hot, with highs 90-95 likely, but we should be back in the 80s by Wednesday and for the remainder of the week. The record heat appears to be over for a while, but humid days are still here for some time. One more day of searing early June heatPosted Jun09, 2008 at 10:00 AMToday will probably be the last day of extreme heat. It will still be pretty hot and sticky on Tuesday, and then a little less so on Wednesday, and back to near normal by the end of the week. Roanoke's June 9 record high of 98 set in 1933 will probably be safe today as highs likely reach the mid 90s. Blacksburg, going for a sixth day of record heat, might challenge the 92 set on this date in 1933. With only 2 degrees difference in high temperatures on Sunday, it doe |
