Cinco de Mayo feeling more like Cinco de Marzo at times

Most of us see periods of rain, but one part of the area stands the chance for severe storms.

Cinco de Mayo forecast

ROANOKE, Va. – The front that gave us rain late Sunday night into early Monday morning serves as a boundary for more rain Tuesday morning.

FutureTracker - 9 a.m. Tuesday

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Because we’re “wedged in” north of the front, our daytime temperatures will only be in the upper 40s and low to mid 50s. This will make Cinco de Mayo feel more like Cinco de Marzo at times!

But this front does more than just produce rain and make us unseasonably cold. It also provides a focal point for potential severe weather. That potential will be in areas near/to the west of I-77 between the hours of 3 and 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday's severe risk

If it can get warm enough in parts of Carroll, Grayson, Wythe and Bland Counties, individual storms can develop near the boundary and even start to spin.

FutureTracker - 4 p.m. Tuesday

Any storm that crosses the boundary into cooler air will quickly become non-severe. If you’re in Blacksburg, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Southside or the Highlands, I would not worry about severe/damaging storms.

Once the system passes, the wind picks up...again...on Wednesday. Temperatures will still be about 10° below average, topping out in the upper 50s and low to mid 60s.

Wind speed and direction - Wednesday

We’ll stay windy at times through Thursday, though becoming slightly warmer by the afternoon. A breeze continues out of the west and southwest Friday, ahead of our next cold front.

This will bring us more showers and storms Friday afternoon and evening.

What We're Tracking - Friday

Once that front passes, watch out! It will get windy again, but it will get quite cold. Saturday morning’s lows will be in the 30s to low 40s, with the wind making it feel colder but also preventing frost.

What We're Tracking - Saturday

If the wind can calm down enough, our unseasonably cold air mass could lead to frost in the area Mother’s Day morning. Think about what plants you need to cover up now, so you’re not caught by surprise this weekend!

What We're Tracking - Sunday

That’s not to say that Mother’s Day weekend is going to be a waste. That’s not at all the case! In fact, we’ll be mostly dry but unseasonably cool.

Mother's Day weekend forecast

Temperatures should gradually start to moderate by next week.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.