We Need Rain!

The last time we saw a soaking rain was January 26, where we received 1.52". We saw another good rain on December 12 with 0.77". This is not ebough! Luckily, we should see a couple chances for rain next week as the weather patter becomes more active. At this point, we'll take whatever we can get.

Big Warm Up Headed This Way

The overall pattern continues to evolve from the bitterly cold weather that we saw earlier this winter. December and January both featured temperatures below average, however, the average this month is 1.3 degrees above normal.

It only looks to get warmer next week as high pressure settles to our southeast. This will produce prime conditions for a big warm up. In fact, highs should easily climb into the 70s Thursday and especially Friday. A normal winter typically has five days with highs in the 70s. We have yet to see one this winter...until next week.


Here are a couple maps for all of you hard core weather fans. A long-range computer forecast (ECMWF ensemble) has been showing this warm up since last Saturday. I've posted the forecast from last Saturday (first) and the forecast from today (second). You can see how consistent this computer has been with this scenario!

Light Snowfall Likely Overnight

A storm system tracking through the southeast U.S. today will continue to bring an increase in cloud-cover this afternoon to our region as that system gets closer. This storm has already produced more than a foot of snow in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. We won't see totals like that in Virginia, though. Light snowfall is expected tonight through sunrise Thursday in central Virginia as a result of that system. It should start first in western parts of the state after dark:

Light snow will begin falling in the rest of the area late tonight and continue through sunrise.

Snow will end from northwest to southeast in Virginia around sunrise as the upper storm system passes overhead and the surface low tracks off the coasts of the Carolinas to our southeast.
Total accumulations in central Virginia will likely be less than an inch on the ground when you wake up Thursday morning. Here's a snapshot of some of the potential accumulations around the area by 8 a.m. Thursday:

The light blue shade indicates snow totals less than an inch, and you can see that many locations may receive less than a half inch of snow. The best snowfall will occur to the north of the low pressure center, which will be southeast of the Outer Banks. As a result, Winter Storm Warnings (pink), Winter Weather Advisories (purple), and Winter Storm Watches (blue) are in effect for eastern North Carolina (which will be just north of the coastal low pressure center) where there will be a greater potential for higher snowfall accumulations than we will see in Virginia:

As our light overnight snowfall winds down around sunrise Thursday, our neighbors to the south will still be getting their snowfall accumulations (2"-4" in eastern NC) through the morning:

CBS 6 This Morning will be on air early Thursday morning beginning at 4:30 a.m. to provide you coverage on any school, church, or business closings or delays, as well as update you on road conditions and snowfall in the area.