The warmest days of 2020 so far are ahead of us!

Highs soar through the 70s to near 80 Thursday and Friday as we turn the calendar to spring.

Hourly temperature planner (3/19/2020) (WSLS)

ROANOKE, Va. – Although meteorological spring began on March 1, traditional or “astronomical” spring gets going today as we celebrate the vernal equinox. The new season officially begins at 11:49 p.m. tonight. We’re seeing the earliest start to the new season in 124 years. The last time spring began on March 19 was 1896. It typically starts on March 20 or 21.

First day of spring (3/19/2020) (WSLS)

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It will certainly feel like the new season through the day today as temperatures start in the 50s and rise all the way into the low to mid 70s by the afternoon. If we hit the forecast high of 76 degrees in Roanoke, it would be the first time we’ve been that warm since Halloween!

Warmest Day of 2020? (3/19/2020) (WSLS)

Temperatures stay warm on Friday and a few spots could be close to the records for March 20. A cold front is expected to pass through the area Friday, driving temperatures back down into the weekend. In fact, it could be as much as a 40 degree drop from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning!

5 day temperature trend (3/19/2020) (WSLS)

One final note, you may want to be on the lookout for showers and/or thunderstorms this afternoon and Friday afternoon as the warmer temperatures provide fuel for rain.

Thursday 5 p.m. Future Tracker (3/19/2020) (WSLS)

Friday’s chances look a little higher than today’s, due to the cold front moving through.

Friday 4 p.m. Future Tracker (3/19/2020) (WSLS)