Weather! Memorial Day Weekend forecast

Things are looking good for your cookout!

May 28, 2010; 1:12 PM • by Weather Dan

A group of students from Virginia Tech, led by instructor Dave Carroll and The Roanoke Times’ Kevin Myatt, recently spent ten days out in the Great Plains during their annual storm chase trip. One of the chasers put together this video compilation of the trip:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxgeAcTGfl0[/youtube]

They’re back in Blacksburg now, but you can read more about their trip in Kevin’s blog at roanoke.com, the Hokie Storm Chase blog, or @hokiestorm on Twitter. With any luck, I’ll be among their ranks next year, as I’m headed to Virginia Tech this fall to complete my own degree.

Speaking of storms, how about those thunderstorms last night? There was a persistent system that took its time moving across central Virginia, bringing frequent lightning and heavy rains with it when it finally moved across Richmond. Preliminary radar estimates indicate that the system dropped more than 4” of rain in some localized areas west of Richmond, primarily in parts of Albemarle, Buckingham, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange counties.

The storm threat resumes on Friday as a backdoor cold front moves southwesterly across the region. The Storm Prediction Center has placed Richmond on the eastern edge of an area of slight risk of severe weather for tomorrow. The cold front keeps temperatures down compared to Thursday’s high of 93; instead, we’ll only see highs in the low 80s under mostly cloudy skies. The threat of rain and possible thunderstorms remains for most of the day. Temperatures Friday night drop into the low 60s with a continued chance of showers and thunderstorms. Damaging winds and hail will be the primary threats from any storms that do form.

Friday Night Squirrelcast (7:05pm, vs. Bowie): The chance of showers and thunderstorms sticks around into Friday evening. First pitch temperature will be in the low 70s. Assuming there are no rain delays, 9th inning temps should only fall into the upper 60s.

The trend continues on Saturday; we’ll see yet another day of mostly cloudy skies with highs near 80. The rain and thunder threat continues for a second day, though the Storm Prediction Center’s outlook diminishes the risk for any severe weather. I still can’t rule out the chance of any storm possibly becoming severe; if it does, damaging wind and hail will be the likely threats. Clouds and the rain threat continue overnight with lows in the upper 60s.

Saturday Night Squirrelcast (6:35pm, vs. Bowie): Another baseball game, another night with a threat of rain. First pitch temperature will be near 80, dropping only into the mid 70s by game’s end.

High pressure takes control on Sunday. Skies clear to partly cloudy and temperatures soar into the low 90s. Though things should be mostly quiet, there’s the chance of a stray popup thunderstorm during the evening hours. Sunday night is more of the same; partly cloudy skies and lows in the low 70s.

Sunday Night Squirrelcast (6:35pm, vs. Bowie): Easily the best night of the weekend so far for baseball. Temperatures will be in the upper 80s at first pitch, and drop down to near 80 by the 9th inning.

Sunday’s pattern repeats for Memorial Day. Partly sunny skies with highs in the low 90s. Lows Monday night near 70, with nary a chance of rain all day long. It’s going to be a great day for cookouts, spending the day poolside, or anything else you might have planned. Monday night temperatures fall to near 70.

Monday Night Squirrelcast (7:35pm, vs. Bowie): Partly cloudy skies, game time temp in the upper 80s. By game’s end, temperatures will have fallen to the upper 70s.

Enjoy your weekend, Richmond. I’ll have a forecast for the shortened work week ready on Tuesday.

May 28, 2010 1:12 PM 0