Summer’s comin’! Scattered storms develop prior to hottest weather in nine months

Storms mostly stay along and south of US-460 Wednesday night and Thursday

ROANOKE, Va. – Tuesday was picture-perfect, and much of Wednesday will follow suit.

We start the day with sunshine and end with more clouds ahead of an advancing cluster of storms.

Even still, high temperatures mostly reach 80 to 85°.

High temperature forecast for Wednesday, 5/18/2022

Showers and occasional rumbles of thunder move into the area after 8 p.m. Wednesday.

FutureTracker - Wednesday around 9 p.m.

A nearby warm front will then be the catalyst for more showers and thunderstorms Thursday.

Areas near and west of I-77 will need to be alert to the potential for a severe thunderstorm or two in addition to localized flooding (due to repeated rounds of storms).

FutureTracker - 2 p.m. Thursday

Therefore, temperatures Thursday will be held down in parts of the New River Valley. As you go northeast of there, highs reach well into the 80s under a partly to mostly cloudy sky.

High temperature forecast for Thursday, 5/19/2022

If you think that’s hot, just wait until Friday. A strong area of high pressure to the south and low pressure to the north will force a gusty, southwest wind into the area.

High heat coming our way Friday and Saturday afternoons

This means near-record heat for all five of our zones Friday afternoon.

Near record heat Friday afternoon

It’s been about nine months since we’ve been this hot, so make sure you’re wearing light-colored and lightweight clothing. Drink plenty of water, seek shade and avoid things like hot cars, hot pavement and playground equipment.

Heat headlines for Friday and Saturday

Showers and storms Friday and Saturday will be few and far between, with the number of storms increasing Sunday afternoon and evening.

As you make your plans for the weekend, make sure to check in occasionally with 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.