Spotty storminess will give way to cooler, drier weather through the weekend
Typical of a summer shower/thunderstorm event, some locations in Southwest Virginia got multiple inches of rain and/or thunderstorm wind damage Monday and Tuesday, while other spots got minimal rain and never heard thunder. The worst storm in our region apparently moved southeast through Roanoke into Franklin County (the same Burnt Chimney-Wirtz-Rocky Mount corridor that has been repeatedly pounded this spring) just before sunset, causing significant wind damage. About 3,000 customers had power knocked out in Roanoke due to trees and limbs falling on lines in south Roanoke. The inset photo is one I shot about 8 p.m. from southern Roanoke County as the core of the storm was moving just east of me. My location ended up with about 1.7 inches of rain over two days, with two periods of brief but heavy rain this afternoon. Some spots along the Blue Ridge from Bent Mountain in Roanoke County through western Franklin County, parts of Floyd County and southward got 2-4 inches of rain. Other areas got less than a half-inch, and some got only a tenth or two. Definitely a spotty event.
A cold front pushing through overnight will clear out most of the tropical soup, with a prolonged period of fairly normal temperatures, or even somewhat below normal temperatures, and mostly dry weather on tap. Highs this week across the region will range in the 70s to low 80s, while lows will generally be in the 50s to low 60s. Normals for June 13 are 79/56 at Blacksburg and 83/62 at Roanoke. Most days through the weekend will likely be a little cooler than that, especially after a reinforcing cold front from the north late in the week. Roanoke will likely go at least another week without a 90-degree high temperature.
June 13, 2012 - 12:13 AM
RSS feed 
Something to watch long-term: Both the Euro and GFS are pointing toward a possible Gulf of Mexico tropical system by late next week.
Alternating between Canadian cold fronts and tropical moisture is one reason we’re running about 2 degrees below normal for June at Roanoke and Blacksburg. The former leads to relatively cool overnight lows, while the latter leads to cooler daytime highs. Continue that pattern, and not get under a “heat dome” high, and this may be the coolest June in at least 9 years.
What a difference a couple of miles can make! I live near PH high school in Roanoke and the 8:00 storm last night did not seem so bad here. Some heavy rain and a bit of wind. That same storm took down trees and caused power outages in South Roanoke just a mile or two away. The power outage lasted long enough for nearly all of the ice cream at my brother’s store in South Roanoke to melt. That was a pretty big hit from what seemed to be a small storm.
Interesting, Kevin. I remember one summer a couple years ago where we had similar dynamics…ample moisture that kept daytime highs lower without any real searing heat all summer, though the overnight lows were warmer because of the moisture. But the net result was that without the normal summer heat, our fruit trees failed and our crape myrtles never bloomed that year. It was bizzare.
Last night we had the window fan going to cool off the bedroom for the first time in several weeks, maybe since April. We used it in March, but not in May. Weird!
Doug, I have about 0.75″ for the month. That will make for a dry first half of the month since there won’t be any for the next several days and probably not for a week.
Got back home to the Chapel this afternoon and was very pleased to see 1.10″in my gauge from this week. Garden is wet and growing. Others here in the county got very little. We have had 2.00″ so far this month. Hopefully it will keep coming. The air is truly refreshing tonight.
Thanks, Ricko. Yeah, 3/4 inch is poor, but not awful. But with the outlook very dry through next Tuesday, your lawn is going to show it. But if a trop system does form in the Gulf, and then pays our area a visit, these rainfall deficits could all go bye-bye in a hurry. The other thing that is helping is the temps this June, compared to the forsaken June 2010 you suffered through. Both blazing hot and extremely dry your way.
I think we are all due for a truly big rainfall month now/pretty soon …. of course, that does not mean it will happen.
Localized outbreak mostly in Dallas county in my immediate
area.. This was part of 2 or 3 cells that developed on their
own..not part of large frontal activity.
..I just got the western edge of it and some brief light to moderate
rain…impressive hail with these cells.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/weather/Severe-weather-blog-Hail-storm-in-Dallas-158977495.html
Saw a few tweets come in about the Texas storms, Joe.
Summer pattern really showing up in the central U.S. now with sporadic, slow-moving but intense cells here, there and yonder (Texas, NM, and South Dakota today). Difficult to chase, but high reward if you can outguess the subtle features on a given day. On the flip side — big, unexpected dangers in local areas while 98 percent of the countryside is sunny and dry.
You may not realize that a year ago today, June 14, 2011, was a carbon copy of today’s temperatures for Roanoke, and actually a bit cooler at Blacksburg.
Roanoke
6/14/2011: High 78, Low 54
6/14/2012: High 78, Low 54
Blacksburg
6/14/2011: High 74, Low 48
6/14/2011: High 77, Low 49
Cool afternoons…low overnight dewpoints/temps…
Theres a reason people come there and dont want to leave.
Looking out over fog covered bottoms..listening to the crickets
and frogs at night.
Pinto beans on the stove…cornbread in the oven.
…Whats not to smile about?