Patches of rain, freezing rain return Monday night

Winter tries to sneak in during one of its final days

Possible types of precipitation for Monday night, 3/15/2021

ROANOKE, Va. – Following a stretch of really nice weather, Monday’s weather takes a bit of a turn. We’ll be overcast at times with cooler air being wedged in at the surface. Most of us will see afternoon temperatures hanging out in the 40s.

Hourly temperature planner for Monday, 3/15/2021

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As the air cools at the surface, more rain will move in from the west. This will be patchy at first around 8 p.m. Temperatures may be just cool enough for patches of freezing rain in areas west of the Parkway throughout the overnight.

FutureTracker - 9 p.m. Monday

If there is any ice accumulation, it will be on elevated surfaces. Ground temperatures are too high for any significant issues, thankfully. Tuesday starts wet for some, but showers turn less numerous. High temperatures will once again only reach the 40s.

FutureTracker - 6 a.m. Tuesday

We should thaw out during St. Patrick’s Day, as the wedge slowly erodes. Highs are expected to generally reach 60-65°.

St. Patrick's Day Planner - 2021

Most of the day is spent dry, but we have to watch a very strong storm system emerging from the Rockies. The wind around the system is strong, which can help sustain any storms that develop. At the very least, we expect periods of heavy rain Thursday morning.

What we're tracking for Thursday, 3/18/2021

Localized flooding could become a possibility with 1-3″ of rain in the forecast. The severe weather potential depends on how much instability/thunderstorm fuel there will be. That’s contingent on how warm we get. Keep checking back for updates on that potential throughout the week.

Rain impacts for the week of 3/15-3/19/2021

Rounds of light rain will linger on the backside of the storm Friday. Once the storm exits east, we’ll be left cool and dry for the first day of spring (Saturday).

Roles reversed for the first day of winter vs. the first day of spring

In fact, it could even be cooler than the first day of winter was!


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.