Heat index nears, exceeds 100° (for some) prior to Wednesday’s scattered storms

Make sure you’re hydrating and finding ways to stay cool the next several days

Peak heat index for Wednesday, 8/11/2021

ROANOKE, Va. – The ‘Dog Days of Summer’ officially end on August 11th, and boy if that dog isn’t barking...

High temperatures Wednesday soar into the 85-90° range in the higher elevations, with low to mid 90s likely elsewhere.

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High temperature forecast for Wednesday, 8/11/2021

The humidity adds insult to injury as well, with the heat index nearing and exceeding 100° in areas east of the Parkway. By using what’s called the wet bulb globe temperature, we can assess the heat risk for athletes, outdoor workers, etc. The worst time to be outside working is between 1 and 3 p.m., though you should still use plenty of caution between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. the next several days.

Heat risk for athletes, outdoor workers on Wednesday, 8/11/2021

Our only hope of cooling down comes in the form of scattered storms. While West Virginia may see showers in the morning, most of us see isolated storms develop between Noon and 1 p.m. Wednesday.

FutureTracker - 1 p.m. Wednesday

These storms blossom and grow in coverage as they move east, before dissipating shortly before sunset. Keep in mind that anything in this heat can turn strong/severe, with localized wind damage, small hail and even localized flooding being a possibility.

FutureTracker - 4 p.m. Wednesday

By Thursday, the wind comes down the mountains and adds a degree or two to our heat. We’re looking at near-record highs in areas like Covington, Roanoke and Lynchburg. There should be fewer storms, due to the downsloping wind.

Near-record heat Thursday, 8/12/2021

That may delay storms until later in the day Friday as well.

What we're tracking - Friday, 8/13/2021

As a front gets closer, it squeezes out our heat and humidity in the form of more numerous storms Saturday afternoon and evening.

What we're tracking - Saturday, August 14, 2021

As the front moves south, we’ll turn “cooler” Sunday through next Tuesday. At this point, we could be working with tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred.

What we're tracking - Sunday, August 15, 2021

Fred formed Tuesday night in the Caribbean. How this storm interacts with the mountains of Haiti/Dominican Republic will play a large role in its fate as it nears the Gulf.

Headlines for tropical Storm Fred as of 3 a.m. Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Stay with us for updates on the heat, storm severity and Tropical Storm Fred by downloading our weather app.


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.