Factors didn't align that could have brought Imelda inland toward Virginia this week. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column looks at how that came about, plus how a more threatening setup with Hurricane Joaquin didn't fully manifest a decade ago this week. cardinalnews.org/2025/10/01/w...

2-hour deluge made August wet at Roanoke, but it's 10th driest since late 1800s at Lynchburg. It's Galax's 2nd wettest summer of 21st century but 5th driest of past 94 years at Wytheville. Looking back at summer rain & heat on cool, dry last week of August. cardinalnews.org/2025/08/27/a...

Chicken and the egg: Hurricane Erin passing east of us will spin down some cooler air for SW/S'side Va. But larger pattern shifting to decidedly cooler one also helping shove Erin away. Next week will have a fall-like flavor on a couple of mornings. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column:

Roanoke avg high temps for 1st week of August have deep bookends as 74.6 in 2025 has beat out 76 from 1912, 1st year of data, for coolest on record. Avg temps figuring highs & lows slightly favor 1912, with 2025 2nd. Either way, historically cool start to Aug, slow warming ahead.

In this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column, discussing the start-of-August cool streaks that are continuing (and actually deepened with many spots not making 70 on a rainy Wednesday) plus a look back at a sticky July and a look ahead to possible tropical trouble in days ahead.

(1/3) A couple more days of sticky-stormy weather for Southwest/Southside Va, then much cooler for the weekend, and drying out for most Sun-Mon. Maybe just a "hint" of fall with a couple 50s lows/70s highs days in many areas, and return of heat will be slow next week cardinalnews.org/2025/07/30/a...

A little hotter on Thursday for SW/S'side Va, much hotter by Friday-Saturday (some mid-upper 90s in lower elevations), and steadily more humid thru weekend with scattered PM storms. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/07/23/b...

Tropical Storm Chantal rain potential has ticked west on this Sunday. Some Southside Virginia areas may get band of 1-2 inches, locally more possible, with scattered showers/storms westward to near Blue Ridge. This starts return to stickier pattern with daily shower/storm chances in week ahead.

Tropical Storm Chantal expected to move NW into Carolinas on Sunday. Highly unlikely this storm will become a hurricane or move enough inland for significant rainfall in SW/S'side Virginia. Heat/humidity will edge upward next few days with chances of showers and storms slowly increasing.

"Thunder only happens when it's raining." Fleetwood Mac was wrong, thunder is heard and lightning strikes well beyond the rain sometimes, as Justin's radar grab below shows. More on lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/l...

We're not talking "touch of fall" or anything like that for Southwest/Southside Va, but not as hot, less humid, and not stormy will be welcome by many for the Fourth of July weekend. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/h...

Daily thunderstorms are taking a break over July 4 weekend for SW/S'side Va, but they'll be back. It doesn't take a strong storm to produce dangerous lightning. Some pics, stories, and tips, about lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column.

Slowly getting a little less hot but staying sticky with more storms in days ahead for Southwest/Southside Virginia. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/06/25/h...

Some 90-degree weather possible the next couple of days in parts of Southwest/Southside Virginia before chances of showers and thunderstorms pick up for the weekend. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/06/11/9...

Look at the smoke over the Eastern USA tonight. Wildfires, mainly in Saskatchewan are the cause.

Recounting Billy Bowling's chase of a tornadic supercell last Friday that almost crossed length of Kentucky in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. Calmer, cooler, mostly dry weather on way to Va through Saturday, shower chances by Memorial Day. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/21/s...

Rough day of severe storms/tornadoes on this Friday to our west where Ohio/Miss rivers meet east into central Ky. For Va: (1) scattered storms/storm clusters during day that might be severe; (2) larger storm complex from west overnight, arriving well after peak heating but gusty winds possible.

Flood watch (green) Mon-Tues follows beige stripe of moderate drought across Va. Preceding dryness reduces flood risk but still could be a bit too much runoff a little too fast for some. Widespread 1-3 inches, locally 4+, mostly light-moderate rain but heavier spurts in t-storms.

Looking back at Virginia's most deadly tornado in Scott County 96 years ago in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/07/a...

Perhaps some helpful weekend rain with stalling upper-level low/slow-moving front to ease light-moderate drought in much of Va. Best chance Sat PM/early Sun AM so may be timed to spare at least part of weekend days from washout. Sporadic showers/storms possible anytime Fri-Mon.

14 years ago we were cleaning up from deadly tornadoes in SW/S'side Va. Pattern has kept most severe storms well to west this spring. Showery with a few storms Thurs-Fri then more over weekend with sluggish front, cut-off low resulting from same pattern.

Some showers in western Virginia off and on through the week as fronts move in from west, stall, dawdle. But amounts in Virginia look relatively light as heavier rain/severe storms focus in central U.S. Neither a sunny week nor a still-needed soaking rain likely.

A @cardinalnews.org article via Capitol News Service looks at concerns of how staffing/funding cuts to NOAA may affect weather services in Virginia. Some comments from @subletteweather.com. cardinalnews.org/2025/04/22/f...

Don't rule out a shower/storm especially N/W of Roanoke by Mon PM, with marginal to slight risk of a few severe storms with damaging wind and large hail. New front brings more windy cool weather Tues-Wed, possible frost/freeze Thurs AM. Warmer over Easter weekend into next week.

Spring blossoms and a tufted titmouse pecking on my window this chilly April Saturday morning along the Blue Ridge in southern Roanoke County, Virginia.

Periods of rain on the way for Southwest/Southside Va with slow-moving low-pressure trough starting on this Thurs afternoon and continuing to early Saturday. Most rainfall amounts 1/2 to 1.25 inches, still needed with ongoing dryness. (Base map courtesy of Weather Prediction Center, NOAA)

March's quick move to warm/dry didn't give me a chance wrap up the '24-25 winter in SW/S'side Va, but a few chilly AMs in April offers a good chance to do just that, including revealing the snowfall contest winner. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/04/09/w...

A year ago today, my family was with friends in Cherokee Village, Arkansas, for the total solar eclipse. Recent floods & tornadoes might have kept us from getting there were it now. But 4 minutes of daytime darkness stirred memories for a lifetime. cardinalnews.org/2024/04/14/t...

Protect tender plants from subfreezing temps across much of Virginia early Wednesday.

An ice storm or a heat wave or a drought might be called "severe" sometimes, but when meteorologists say "severe" they are almost always referring to a narrow class of thunderstorm effects with wind and hail. This week's @CardinalNewsVA weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/04/02/w...

Where I grew up in NE Arkansas in high risk of severe storms with likely long-track violent tornadoes. Hope it underperforms badly. 6+ inches of rain expected same area next 4 days. Wish we could spread 1-2 of that out here to Virginia where it's dry, but showers thru weekend look light.

Familiar progression in Va with approaching front. Severe storms outbreak to west as showers increase here today/tonight. Storm risk picks up Mon, some possibly severe, especially east of the Blue Ridge. Rain amounts mostly short of needed soaking. Windy & cooler Mon PM-Tues.

One of the wettest Februarys on record in Southwest and Southside Virginia has been followed by what may end up as one of the driest Marches on record. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column:

Same song, umpteenth verse in this dry, windy March. Red flag warning for extreme fire danger has been issued along and east of the Blue Ridge, but fires can spread quickly anywhere in Virginia and nearby states on this Wednesday.

Thurs cold front triggers showers in SW/S'side Va. Gusty winds behind it may stir fire risk, carry dust from SW U.S. & trigger mtn snow showers. Chilly speedbump in spring pattern, but cooler toward end of month. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/03/19/s...

Familiar script for Virginia on Sunday. Likely high-end severe outbreak to our west on this Sat, then strong shear aloft but less instability in Va on Sun. Less severe risk than South/TN Valley but still significant, gusty winds, tornadoes possible, more so east of Blue Ridge.

Quite the week of weather behind us, and possibly similar ahead of us in SW/S'side Va as warm late week turns into rainy/stormy weekend. And there's a lunar eclipse early Friday morning. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/03/12/d...

This is the stretch many of you not inclined to winter have been longing for since November. 70s highs and lots of sunshine over most of Southwest/Southside Va through Friday. We'll pay for it with a rainy weekend & maybe some storms, and of course the rise of spring allergies.

Mammatus over Roanoke skyline and surrounding mountains as seen from Virginia Western Community College on this Wednesday morning Formed by cool air sinking. Indicative of considerable turbulence but also in this case that heavy rain/storms have moved on to east. Photo by ⁦my wife, Erica Myatt ⁩.

Southwest/Southside Va have a calm break in an active Feb weather pattern, with warming temps until some poke 60 by Tues. 1st week of March looks colder with possible wintry precip flirtations. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/02/19/l...

Bands of snow moving into western Va this AM. Expect briefly lowered visibility and quick accumulations of mostly 1 inch or less as these move through. These are a result of atmospheric lift aloft not strictly upslope surface flow so will likely move out past the mountains.

Next thing to watch for Southwest/Southside Va is a possible "sneaky snow" early Thursday as an upper-level low may send a band of vigorous snow showers beyond the mountains near sunrise. Amounts will be light but could cover roads and reduce visibility in time for morning commute.

Light at the end of tunnel, and it’s not an oncoming train of more rain, ice and snow

At this point (5:30am) I'm expecting snow today to be on low end, 2 inches or less, for most of Southwest/Southside Va, based on radar, short-term models, moisture-robbing effects of Gulf convection & energy transfer to coastal system. Still slippery in many spots. Another round Thurs AM.

Snow update in @cardinalnews.org. General idea: Light-moderate snow sweeps across Wed AM with 2-3 inches for many across SW/S'side Va, some spots nearer 1 a few closer to 4. More snow to our east. 2nd band may add a little more early Thursday. cardinalnews.org/2025/02/18/s...

Current NWS-Blacksburg forecast for snowfall on Wed in SW/S'side Va. Some significant variables linger that could pump up these amounts or dry them out yet a little more.

Another chapter in an extraordinary stretch of Virginia weather, as gusty winds essentially undo days of power restoration after last week's ice storm. Flooding ongoing, snow showers blowing over mtns tonight & more widespread snowfall by Wednesday. cardinalnews.org/2025/02/16/g...

Just almost too much weather to keep up with in Southwest/Southside Virginia. Today, it's flooding. Sunday it will be high winds. Wednesday, very likely, it will be snow. Latest update on @cardinalnews.org. cardinalnews.org/2025/02/15/s...

It's been a bad ice storm over a big chunk of @cardinalnews.org's Southwest/Southside Va coverage area, maybe worst in 30 years. 200K without power, widespread tree damage. Sunny push into 40s today but cold front gusty winds will break some more limbs. cardinalnews.org/2025/02/13/i...

Power outages getting as bad as feared especially in stripe from Blue Ridge across Southside to the Richmond area. More rain/freezing rain with temperatures near the freezing mark likely Wednesday night into early Thursday before a sharp warmup during day Thursday. cardinalnews.org/2025/02/12/p...