ROANOKE, Va. – High pressure camps out and builds over the eastern half of the U.S. through this weekend, leading to scorching heat for many; including us.
A Heat Advisory will be in effect from 12 to 8 p.m. Friday for Lynchburg and Southside. This does include Bedford County too. This is the area where we expect the most intense heat each day.
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An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for Halifax, Charlotte, Appomattox and Nelson Counties for Saturday. This is where the heat index may approach 110° during the hottest time of the day.
That's not to say it won't be hot anywhere else. High temperatures top out in the 90s for a large chunk of the area Friday and Saturday afternoons (upper 80s to mid 90s Sunday afternoon). When you factor in the humidity, this map below shows what it will feel like during the hottest hours of the day.
Why do we make such a big deal out of this? It turns out that heat is the number one weather-related killer in the U.S. That is leaps and bounds beyond tornadoes and hurricanes.
Once we get through the weekend, some changes are forthcoming. This first starts out with more widespread rain and the potential for localized flooding Monday and Tuesday.
A cold front sags south of the region bringing, not only that chance for rain, but a relief from this heat. Temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the 70s and 80s with humidity gradually dropping from north to south.