Heating up: Mid-summer sizzle takes over Thursday through the weekend

High temperatures reach near-record levels Friday and Saturday afternoons

ROANOKE, Va. – We’ve almost made it to the weekend - one that is going to have more neighborhood pools opening up!

The warm-up begins Thursday under a mix of clouds and sun. A boundary nearby may fire off a few isolated storms during the day. Otherwise, expect highs in the low to mid 80s in the New River Valley and in the mid to upper 80s elsewhere.

High temperature forecast for Thursday, 5/19/2022

Any cluster of storms to the west will need to be watched closely at night. One could ride our boundary and into the area while we’re asleep Thursday night into Friday morning.

A cluster of storms will be possible after midnight into early Friday morning

After that, this boundary lifts northward. That will set the stage for near-record heat with high temperatures in the low to mid 90s across much of the area.

High temperature forecast for Friday, 5/20/2022

We’ll be just about that hot Saturday with a few mountain storms possible during the evening hours.

This is the hottest weather we’ve felt in about nine months, so make sure to take care of the obvious things like drinking water, seeking shade, etc. Also remember to keep your bare feet and pet’s paws off the pavement and concrete. Darker colors absorb heat more, which is another reason to wear (not just lightweight) light-colored clothing.

Some surfaces become hotter during summer heat

A front taps into our heat Sunday and fires off more numerous showers and thunderstorms later in the day.

Showers and storms become more numerous later in the day Sunday

Once the front sags southward, we’ll see some relief from the heat early next week. However, it’ll still be close enough to send more rounds of showers and thunderstorms our way.

Relief from the heat and occasional showers/storms expected early next week

We could use the rain too! Most of us are about two to three inches below average on rainfall for the spring.


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.

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