Weather! Midweek update

Tuesday’s high of 66 degrees was the highest in 2010 and the first time Richmond hit 66 degrees since December 9, 2009 – exactly three months ago, today. I hope everyone has been able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve seen early this week, because after tomorrow it all comes crashing down.

March 9, 2010; 7:11 PM • by Weather Dan

Tuesday’s high of 66 degrees was the warmest so far in 2010 and the first time Richmond has hit 66 degrees since December 9, 2009 – exactly three months ago, today. I hope everyone has been able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve seen early this week, because after tomorrow it all comes crashing down.

A potent low pressure system over the central plains is already kicking up some clouds over the area Tuesday evening, which should help keep temperatures from dropping too much Tuesday night. Lows will likely fall into the low 40s rather than the low 30s, which is good for me, because I neglected to bring a coat with me to school tonight.

This system also spawned two tornadoes on Monday in western Oklahoma.

Wednesday
More clouds tomorrow as the low pressure system slowly moves eastward over the Mississippi Valley and pulls in Gulf moisture. Temperatures tomorrow will depend on how much cloud cover we get, but several of the models put us at or over the magic 70-degree mark. Why is it magic? We haven’t seen 70 degrees since we hit 72 on November 29th last year. Increasing cloud cover will keep temperatures from getting too cold again Wednesday night; lows shouldn’t fall below the upper 40s. There’s a very small chance of a stray rain shower on Wednesday, but most of the rain, it not all, will hold off for another day.

Thursday and Friday
Rain showers will begin in earnest on Thursday, making for a dreary end to the week. Temperatures both days should modulate from the low 50s at night to the mid 60s during the day. We’re going to be lucky in one regard, since the snowpack across the region is all but entirely gone, aside from the stray snow pile here and there. This eliminates a large flash flooding risk for the area; however, there is still a decent amount of snow across the mountains of West Virginia. If they see a lot of heavy rain over the next few days, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some very swollen rivers and streams in the region. Rain should modulate on and off through both days, with some periods of heavy rain showers as some strong bands of rain pass through the area.

Long term, this low pressure system is likely to keep the chance of rain in the forecast through the weekend. Temperatures will moderate some through the weekend, hovering in the mid-50s as long as the clouds and rain stick around.

March 9, 2010 7:11 PM 6