Severe weather outbreak south gives us rain, possible storms through early Friday morning

Severe weather threat locally is limited to areas along and west of I-77 Thursday night

Severe weather outlook for Thursday, 3/25/2021

ROANOKE, Va. – For the second time in about a week, parts of the Deep South and Tennessee River Valley are under the gun for a significant severe weather outbreak.

That same storm system will give us some afternoon showers Thursday, but the severe threat for our area at that time will be quite low.

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FutureTracker - 1 p.m. Thursday, 3/25/2021

Temperatures, meanwhile, will reach into the 60s and 70s area-wide prior to any afternoon showers.

High temperature forecast for Thursday, 3/25/2021

We’ll likely see a bit of a break in the action early Thursday evening before the bulk of our rain settles in at night.

Some storms will be possible after 9 or 10 p.m. through the wee morning hours Friday, but warm air above us should put a cap on the potential for any widespread severe weather.

FutureTracker - 10 p.m. Thursday

If we do see any stronger storms, that potential would be along and west of Interstate 77.

We’ll be pretty breezy at times Thursday, but the wind will start to pick up even more Friday once this system passes north and east. Wind speeds will reach 10-25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph possible.

Wind speed and wind gust forecast for Friday, 3/26/2021

That same downsloping wind, along with more sunshine, will push temperatures into the 70s and even 80s for some. We’ll be near record highs in areas like Lynchburg and Southside Friday afternoon.

Record warmth possible in parts of the area Friday afternoon

Heading into the weekend, our old front will provide a boundary for more showers to develop. We’ll start Saturday dry, but the chance for showers will go up late in the afternoon into the evening.

What we're tracking - Saturday, 3/27/2021

As that front lifts north, it opens up the gates for another, stronger system to move in from the west. Expect it to be wet at times Sunday.

What we're tracking - Sunday, 3/28/2021

Beyond Sunday, we’ll turn windy, cooler and drier by next Monday.


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.