The strong winds that plagued Hampton Roads on Friday are gone, but temperatures will be more winter-like today (Saturday) as a cold high pressure has moved into the region. Winds were very strong on Friday gusting to near 50 MPH in some spots. Rainfall wasn’t that impressive as my neighborhood only picked up a tenth of an inch. The winds were stronger to our north gusting to near 60 MPH in D.C. Winds will veer around from the northeast to the south on Saturday and this will cause temperatures to rise into the 60′s on Sunday with sunny skies. Monday may be very similar to this past Friday as another low pressure system will take a track similar to the storm system that moved to our north on Friday. Winds on Monday will be quite gusty and we’ll see if they will be as strong as they were on Friday. What about rain chances? Well, we expect some showers and even some thunder as the cold front approaches but rainfall amounts probably won’t be substantial for most of us here in Hampton Roads. As with the previous system, the further north you are, the more rain you will probably receive. This is a very typical pattern when there is a La Nina in the North Pacific Ocean. Historically, the Southeast doesn’t receive that much precipitation in late winter and early spring when there is a La Nina. Forecasters are expecting drought conditions to develop in many areas of the southeast as we move into spring. What bothers me is that just when precipiation is needed the most with the growing season set to begin soon, it stops raining which puts stress on the young trees and shrubs. We’ll see if those dire predictions of drought are accurate.
Next week marks the end of meteorological winter which will be very welcome for most folks. This means that the average temperature begins to climb at steady pace until we get to summer.
Thanks for reading and have a great day. I’ll have an update on Sunday.
Dave's Weather Discussion is your home for a detailed, precise, & local weather forecast and discussion for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Using a compilation of the National Weather Service forecast ideas with the opinions of leading meteorologists, Dave gives you the info to plan your day. He puts the weather into simple terms so you can be ready for Mother Nature. Interesting facts and explanations give you insight into the fascinating and complex world of meteorology.
