Weather! Starting the week warm, but there’s rain on the way

While warm temperatures kick the week off right, Richmond is looking at a decent round of rain coming through by midweek. After the Squirrels’ first home series, could they be looking at their first rainout on Wednesday morning?

April 16, 2012; 12:14 PM • by Weather Dan

If you missed the last SKYWARN spotter training class in Mechanicsville, you’ve got another opportunity this week. There will be another class this Thursday at 6:30pm at the Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center on Public Safety Way in Chesterfield.

April 16 is a day of two remembrances for me. First are, naturally, the events of April 16, 2007, here in Blacksburg. Second is the tornado outbreak of April 16, 2011. Eleven tornados struck parts of the state, killing two. The largest of these was an EF-3 tornado that southed down in Surry County, striking Dominion Virginia Power’s nuclear power plant. It crossed the James River, eventually doing $14 million in damage into James City, Gloucester, and Mathews Counties. Four more people died as a result of other severe weather across Virginia.

High pressure hanging out offshore will mean that there’s no chance of a repeat of 2011 today in Virginia.

Monday: The mercury started climbing not long after the sun came up; we’ve gone from 63 to almost 80 by 11am. Temperatures will continue to climb into the afternoon; look for them to peak at a sweltering 89 degrees. Partly cloudy skies continue overnight, and temps dip into the low 60s.

Monday Squirrelcast (vs. Reading, 6:35pm): The Squirrels’ homestand continues as Reading comes to town for a three-game set. Look for plenty of sun to start the game, with temps still in the mid 80s. By the ninth inning, they’ll slide into the mid 70s.

Tuesday: We start out mostly sunny, but clouds will increase late in the day as the cold front responsible for some of this weekend’s severe weather slides into Virginia. Highs peak in the low 80s again, and slide into the mid 50s Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as the front approaches.

Tuesday Squirrelcast (vs. Reading, 6:35pm): Despite the increasing clouds, we should stay dry for tomorrow night’s game. Game-time temperatures will be near 80, sliding into the low 70s with some additional clouds by the time things wrap up.

Wednesday: The front moves through in earnest Wednesday morning, with showers beginning by the morning rush hour. Temperatures won’t rebound much from overnight lows in the mid 50s, only making it into the mid 60s. Rain will continue on and off through the day and into Wednesday night, wrapping up before sunrise Thursday. Low temperatures again will stay mild thanks to the rain, dipping into the low 50s overnight.

Wednesday Squirrelcast (vs. Reading, 10:35am): Rain is going to move in before first pitch of the Squirrels’ first workday special of the season, and I’m not sure they’ll be able to get this entire game in, if any of it. Expect damp conditions with temperatures in the upper 50s at the scheduled start time, with continued showers through the morning and temperatures in the low 60s by 1pm.

The front clears out on Thursday, and temperatures rebound into the 70s through Saturday. However, an approaching cold front this weekend will bring another round of rain. Hopefully the weekend won’t be a total loss; I’ll have more about that later this week.

April 16, 2012 12:14 PM 0