ROANOKE, Va. – With the heat cranking through the end of the May, it's likely that this will wind up in the Top-5 hottest on record in Roanoke. Keep in mind that records in the Star City go all the way back to 1912.
The single hottest May on record was...wait for it...in 2018!
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A wind out of the west Friday will help to keep things hot. When the wind comes down the mountains, it compresses which means the air warms up and dries out. We'll be in the 87 to 93° range area-wide, with elevation clearly playing a role.
By Saturday, we'll still be warm - but maybe not as hot as Friday afternoon. With the wind coming onshore, that should keep highs in the 80s with a few showers and storms developing.
Afterward, the heat cranks with little to no interruption through the rest of Memorial Day Weekend. Highs in the upper 80s to low 90s are expected Sunday, Monday, and beyond...
A large area of high pressure will linger over the eastern U.S. When high pressure gets this strong, it's like a Taurus - stubborn. It takes a while for a system like this to completely break down. This means highs in the upper 80s to low 90s through the end of May and early June.
When you look at our forecast for the final week of May, it actually resembles a more "typical" late May in San Antonio, Texas.
If our forecast pans out, number-for-number, over the next week - then this May will wind up being the second hottest on record in Roanoke.
Other places like Danville, Lynchburg and Blacksburg won't be as close. Still, we've been warmer than average this month in each of those locations.