THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA ON SUNDAY… SOME MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS… THE TROPICS QUIET DOWN FOR NOW
The National Weather Service admits the forecast for the upcoming week is quite a challenge. Pinpointing the timing, coverage, and amount of precipitation is going to be very difficult beginning Sunday. The relative uncertainty may last through mid-week. A slow moving cold front will be approaching the Mid-Atlantic Region on Sunday raising the chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some may be severe with hail and strong winds the primary threats. The front should still be in the region on Monday, which should keep us with a chance of a shower or thundershower. The rest of the week depends on the strength, timing, and frequency of short waves which will be rotating around a low well to our northwest. Although our upper-level winds will be predominantly from a dry northwesterly direction, these short waves will produce a least a chance of a shower or storm when they pass through the region, especially when they arrive during the peak heating of the day. In other words, diurnally driven storms will bring our rain chances most of this week. All in all, it’s just a typical summertime pattern… heat, humidity and a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. The tropical Atlantic is quiet for now although there is a weak system in the Central Atlantic. There is another area near the Bahamas but forecasters don’t anticipate that there will be any rapid develop over the next few days. Dolly is dissipating over the southwestern states but it is still dropping heavy rain in some areas. Keep in mind that the tropics will probably come to life again in the next few weeks as we move into the month of August so do not let your guard down. I’ll have a full update on Monday.
