WEATHER WHIPLASH! From spring Monday morning to full-fledged summer mid-week

For many, Wednesday afternoon will be the first time we officially reach 90° this year.

Warming from the 50s Monday morning to the 90s by Wednesday afternoon (WSLS)

ROANOKE, Va. – Monday morning starts out with comfortable humidity and temperatures in the 40s and 50s area-wide. High pressure overhead will keep things calm and mild, with highs in the 70s. That all changes, as we head into the middle of the week. Even Tuesday, we’ll be about 10 degrees warmer.

By Wednesday, a large ridge (area of high pressure) in the upper levels of the atmosphere, combined with the wind moving down the mountains, will lead to summer heat!

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Upper level air pattern - Wednesday

For many, this will likely be the first 90° day of the season and the hottest we’ve been in about 7 months.

Zone forecast - Wednesday afternoon

This comes late for our area, as our average first 90° day in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside is in early-to-mid May. All the rain in May kept us from reaching that point.

Average first 90° day

Being that it’s been so long since we’ve been this hot, we feel the need to remind you that surfaces like blacktop and concrete get very hot. Be careful when walking barefoot or walking the dog.

Heat on other surfaces

It also goes without saying that no living thing should be left in a hot car.

We’ll stay hot throughout the rest of the week. However, our ridge that I previously mentioned will break down. This will pave the way for a slow-moving front to approach the region Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

What We're Tracking - Thursday afternoon

This means the daily shot for showers and thunderstorms. Some may become strong-to-severe in this kind of warmth and humidity.


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.

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