Weather! Washed out, but not for long

While Wednesday is a mess with thunderstorms and rain through tonight, clear weather is in store for the rest of the week and this weekend.

May 9, 2012; 9:32 AM • by Weather Dan

It’s going to be an ugly Wednesday, especially the second half. Thankfully, conditions improve quickly; by Thursday and Friday, we’re back to sunny skies.

Showers earlier this morning have been associated with an upper-level disturbance located ahead of a cold front moving into western Virginia this morning. This is all being driven by a strong area of low pressure spinning over southern Ontario and Quebec, pulling lots of cooler, Canadian air into the eastern US.

Wednesday: The first round of showers have moved off to the east, while the main event continues to develop along the Blue Ridge, stretching south into the Carolinas and Georgia, where some of these storms have become severe. Breaks in the clouds will allow for some heating this afternoon, triggering some thunderstorms as the boundary moves eastward. We’ll see shower/thunderstorm initiation again later this evening, relatively close to the evening commute. The biggest concern by far will be with heavy downpours and possibly some wind damage as these storms approach. We won’t get much warmer than our current high of 73, though a couple more degrees isn’t out of the question.

The storms will develop into a linear system this evening, with rain and some heavy downpours continuing into late tonight. Temperatures will slide into the upper 50s late tonight as the front passes.

Thursday: High pressure will build in tomorrow as the front moves out to sea. Any clouds lingering in the morning will continue to clear out as the day progresses. Expect a high in the mid 70s, cooling to near 50 overnight with continued clear skies.

Thursday Squirrelcast (vs. Bowie, 6:35pm): Clear weather will greet the Squirrels’ return to Richmond. Look for temperatures around 70 at first pitch with lots of sun and clear skies, and a temperature near 60 by the 9th inning.

Friday: High pressure stays securely settled over the eastern US, and Richmond gets to enjoy all the benefits. Friday’s going to be a great way to wrap up the week, with lots of sun and highs near 75. Lows return to the lower 50s Friday night.

Friday Squirrelcast (vs. Bowie, 6:35pm): Pretty similar to Thursday – another great night for baseball. Temperatures near 70 at the start of the game, dipping to just below 60 by the time things wrap up.

High pressure is going to stick around through the weekend – sunny skies and temperatures near 75 will be the norm into next week. If you’re heading to graduation at VCU or out to Blacksburg for Virginia Tech’s commencement, you’re going to have beautiful weather. I’ll have one more update this weekend on Friday. Next week, look for updates as I and 15 others head west to chase storms in the Great Plains.

May 9, 2012 9:32 AM 0