Sunday, September 6, 2009

Heavy Rain Potential

This next storm system could be a major rainmaker. I just got done looking at some of the newest data and it is becoming more and more consistent. Here is a map of forecasted rain totals through Tuesday evening. Notice how our area is hit the hardest:


(00Z NAM 48 hour rain forecast)

Rain totals could easily reach 3 to 5" within the areas of bright orange and yellow. Some isolated areas could even receive more! If this pans out, then we will be on the lookout for some possible flooding in some parts of the state. This is still a developing situation that we are carefully monitoring. Any slight shift in the track of this storm will greatly impact the rain totals.

Showers Possible On Labor Day

If you have a choice between going outdoors today or tomorrow, I would recommend choosing today. A batch of showers has blossomed off the coast of the Carolinas and is moving northward. Initially it looked like most of this rain would move off the coast, but now latest data is pulling these showers into parts of our area. The best chances for rain will be in the southeast corner of the state, however a few showers will also be possible for most of central Virginia.

This is not all bad news - we definitely need some rain in the area!