ROANOKE, Va. – The National Weather Service in Blacksburg has issued a High Wind Warning for areas near and west of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Sunday morning through Monday morning. These areas could see peak wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph.Â
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Areas east of the Parkway, including Lynchburg and Southside, are under a Wind Advisory. This is where wind gusts could range anywhere from 25 to 40 mph.
Sustained winds area-wide will range from 15 to 30 mph between Sunday and Monday mornings.
Especially for areas west of the Parkway, power outages, mudslides and downed trees will be possible. This is due to the combination of a water-logged ground and high wind gusts.Â
Thankfully, things will dry up long before a flash freeze can happen. However, cold air and strong wind gusts will make it feel pretty bitter by Sunday night and Monday morning.
We expect wind chills to drop pretty low, making things feel uncomfortable after Sunday afternoon's 60° warmth.
In addition to the high wind threat, we are also monitoring river levels very closely.Â
The Roanoke River will likely crest Sunday morning, as will the James River at Buchanan. Meanwhile, it will take until Monday morning for the Dan River to crest at minor flood stage. The New River at Radford and Glen Lyn will rise to moderate flood stage by Sunday morning.
In Southside, minor river flooding typically leads to flooding of low-lying farmland. However, flooding in Radford and Roanoke could be slightly more impactful.Â
Water levels should go down by Monday and Tuesday, as the weather reaches a calmer, drier period.