Weather! Nothin’ but blue skies…*

Some fantastic conditions this afternoon will continue through the weekend. Temps around 90 with low-ish humidity and very low precipitation chances? I’ll take that any day of the year.

June 24, 2011; 3:16 PM • by Weather Dan

*Ok, so there’s some clouds sticking around.

In fact, as temperatures have climbed into the low 90s today in advance of a cold front draped across the Blue Ridge this afternoon (it’s only 78 in Blacksburg as of 1pm). The front is responsible for instability across the state today, and as temperatures climb, our chances for thunderstorms this afternoon do as well. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the eastern 2/3 of Virginia as part of a region that includes most of Maryland, the Delmarva, and all but far southeastern North Carolina that will see an increasing potential for thunderstorms this afternoon.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been posted for Hampton Roads, the Delmarva, and counties bordering the western shore of Chesapeake Bay until 9pm.

The intersection of warm and moist airmasses with the advancing cold front this afternoon will be the only trigger needed to get storms to fire. Radar scans already show developing thunderstorms near the Potomac river southeast of Washington, DC, and across southeastern Virginia east of Emporia as well. However, surface observations from RIC this afternoon indicate that the front has already passed through, dropping temperatures back into the upper 80s. A corresponding drop in dewpoints means that we’ve got dryer air moving into the region, and that’s going to continue to drop the thunderstorm threat for this evening. Temperatures will drop into the upper 60s overnight tonight. Conditions should be great for tonight’s Flying Squirrels game (vs. Erie, 7:05pm), with game-time temperatures in the upper 80s, ending tonight in the upper 70s. However, there is the chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm, especially before and near sunset, but most of the severe stuff should be confined to areas closer to the Chesapeake.

High pressure settles in for the weekend, quashing most of our thunderstorm chances until Monday. Temperatures both Saturday and Sunday will peak near 90, with overnight lows in the upper 60s. Partly to mostly sunny skies should persist through the weekend, which should be great news for those of you with outdoor plans this weekend. There’s not much indication of precipitation for most of the weekend. If you’ve got plans for the Flying Squirrels this weekend, both Saturday (vs. Erie, 6:35pm) and Sunday (vs. Erie, 2:05pm) look to be fantastic. It’s going to be a great weekend to be outside!

Next week, the high pressure moves out and a couple different frontal systems pass through the region, bringing those precipitation chances back for the early part of the week. I’ll have another update on Monday.

June 24, 2011 3:16 PM 0