Following soaking May and June, July falling behind on rain

Storm chances remain fairly limited through the rest of the week

Rain chances through the next 7 days

ROANOKE, Va. – I posted a poll to my Facebook page Tuesday to see who felt the need for rain. Roughly 75% of people who responded said ‘Yes,' as of 3 a.m. Wednesday. While we’re still way ahead on rain totals for the year, we’ve fallen behind for the month of July.

Where we stand on rain for the month of July

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We only expect spotty storms the next few afternoons, as we track an area of low pressure in the Carolinas. Had this system been farther west, we’d see a lot more moisture coming in. However, the fact that it’s farther east doesn’t bode well for any soaking rain.

Futuretracker - Wednesday afternoon

By Thursday, this storm will be near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Its position gives us the chance for spotty storms mainly east of the Blue Ridge Parkway later in the day. That’s about it.

Futuretracker - Thursday afternoon

So, yes. It’s probably a good idea to water the garden or put the sprinkler out in the lawn these next few days. We aren’t guaranteed to see storms. There’s just the chance of some spotty stuff materializing.

3-day gardening outlook

We’ll turn hotter Thursday and Friday, as our coastal system slowly drifts toward New England. Expect highs around 85-90° Thursday and a few degrees higher by Friday.

What We're Tracking - Friday evening

A second system from the west may be enough to produce some evening storms Friday. However, the better chance for scattered storms appears to be Saturday.

What We're Tracking - Saturday evening

We’ll turn drier Sunday, as that second system slows down to our east. We’ll keep it pretty hot this weekend, with highs each day around 86-92°.


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.