Yesterday we had some very heavy rainfall across the area with some spots reporting well over 3 inches of rain. There were even a few viewers who measured 4 inches of rain. I have posted a few pictures and even a video of the flash flooding that viewers sent in on my Facebook Page. Today we probably will not see many strong or severe storms, but storms that continue to bring heavy rainfall.
Front Remains out West
Having that stationary front just to our west today will keep the threat for the heavy rain around our area.
Unstable Airmass
The surrounding atmosphere is unstable still today with many parameters indicating a chance for thunderstorms. First off the Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) remains very high today with numbers allowing for east thunderstorm development. Also the precipitable water, or how much water is in the atmosphere above us remains around 1.6 inches. The dew point values are very soupy too with the reading in Portsmouth at 69 degrees. Going into this evening scattered Thunderstorms are still going to be possible.
Scattered Showers
The showers and storms will remain scattered mostly for the rest of the day, You can see in this picture that the showers will remain to our south this afternoon as that is where the warmest and most humid air remains.
Yesterday we had downpours across the area as you probably saw. Norfolk International picked up 1.21″ of rain. There was a few areas that had 1-3″ of rain. Especially near the downtown tunnel, and on the Peninsula. I tried to figure out why there was so much rain. The day before (Monday) we had high very humidity. We had a high precipitable water which is the rainfall potential in a region. But it barely rained on Monday, while it was a deluge yesterday. I did notice yesterday that in the 500 millibar chart (midlevel region of the troposphere), that there was a little kink in the temperatures. Basically a little cool pocket. It was very subtle, but it may have aided in the heavy rain development. Also, the cold/stationary front was closer yesterday as well as a weak area of low pressure. So today we have a similar setup. Lots of humidity, a cool pocket (weak) at 500 mb, and plenty of warmth. So expect more rounds of showers and storms with heavy rain the main threat. The threat for severe winds and/or hail is low since we have lots of clouds and not a lot of upper level winds, but some strong storms this afternoon are certainly possible. Plus, it is still possible to get some clearing later this morning.
Tonight a cold front will move through and will be the game-changer for the area. This front will cool things down for tomorrow and will clear us out by the afternoon. We are still looking good for Friday, but some of the long range models are now showing a weak area of low pressure trying to move in from the ocean. I don’t trust the NAM with offshore lows, but the European is showing this now. So stay tuned to any changes. This is a quick blog that I am writing early. We’ll try and get a longer more detailed blog out later today.
The Latest Running News and Notes from Sportswrap, Running Reporter, Jon “Flex” Leiding
On The Run Again!
No Stopping Us Now!
We have plenty to chat about but here’s a few quick words:
Let’s get some Results going on Here!
Mother’s day weekend was full of activity, starting with the 9TH annual Dolphin Dash 5K at Ocean Lakes High School as David Harrison took the Top Spot in 17:31, while the Ladies had Carissa Pascanik grabbing first for the Females with a solid 20:21.
Just a few miles away, former Guiness World Record Holder, Drew Midland was flat out fast at the Equi-Kids Cross Country 5k in 18:36. Virignia Beach’s Nina Englund broke the tape for the women in 22:12, along Sandbridge Road.
Ryan Carroll On the Run...
That’s plenty of action but, a run on the “Wild Side” was on the menu in Norfolk. The always speedy Ryan Carroll took the 5k event in 15:36. (Is it my imagination or is he getting faster?) On the Ladies side, Yoko England was flying through the 3.1 mile course, taking the crown in 19:49.
Rocking down the highway, the Queens Lake 5K went to Mark Tompkins,with a strong 16:35. There must be something in the water as Jennifer Quarles, made Williamsburg proud for the Ladies with an 18:59. With all that speed going on, it had to be contagious. Mercedes Castillo-D’Amico, the 54 female from Newport News set an “Age Group” record for the course by posting a 19:50. That’s good enough to win some races outright! Congrats to you if you raced this weekend.
Also, I got the chance to watch some of the Virginia Beach Middle School City Championships at Tallwood High School. Let me just say this- Sometimes I think I might be running fast but, “WOW!” Some incredible efforts all around from Long Jumps, Relays, 800s, 1600s, the 200 and 100m Dash. Just Amazing!
So Where’s the Party?
This week shows no sign of taking a break: Check out the Girls on the Run 5K, starting at MacArthur Center in Norfolk.
Races are “down the road a piece”, with the Lytle Law 5K in Newport News.
Wanna go further? The Dominion Riverrock Filthy 5K Mud Run is Friday, while the James River Scramble 10K is Saturday. Combine that with the Thule Urban Assualt Mountain Bike Race, all near Richmond and that might be enough.
Not quite!
The Run for the Dream 8K goes off Saturday in colonial Williamsburg. it’s also featuring the the US Masters 8K Championships with 40 states being represented. Sunday, the Run for the Dream Half Marathon goes off at 7am. I’ll be taking a run on the Parkway. Maybe, I’ll see you there!
What Do You Know?
They say the future of a sport is in the Youth movement. I was lucky enough to get some time with Nick Mayers of the Virginia Beach Flames, a local Running group that has quite a resume of great runners. i could tell you about it but, why don’t you check my interview with Coach Nick:
Thanks, Coach Nick!
If you have any comments, or suggestions for a good story idea, drop me a line. I can’t do this without your feedback. Please share it with your Running friends as well.
That’s all this time. Maybe I’ll catch you… “On the Run!”
See You "On The Run, Soon!"
“On The Run” with Sportswrap Running reporter, Jon “Flex” Leiding, here on WAVY.com
We had a couple of downpours this morning across the viewing area. They were putting down about 1-2 inches per hour, but luckily kept moving to the northeast. First, we had some heavy rain and training over Manteo and Wanchese NC. Heavy cells of rain kept moving over the same place (like a train over tracks) for about 2 hours. Then there was a big break and it looked like nothing was going to happen. Ironically, that’s also when the computer models started coming in with less rain in the forecast for the day. Then all of a sudden another heavy area of rain formed over Suffolk and moved over the rest of the southside all the way to Virginia Beach.
Super Doppler 10 Radar (7:45am)
This made for a messy commute between 7:30 and 8:30am. After the rain pushes out we should see a lull in the action between mid morning and the early afternoon. Then later today more scattered showers and storms will reform and move over the area. The latest models don’t show too much coverage 30-40% for later today. Most of the area will get a quarter inch or less. However, if you get under one of the downpours you will easily get over a half inch. A weak area of low pressure is near the region, and there is a stationary front to our west. Winds will be southerly today so the moisture will keep pouring in. Highs will be near 80.
Today's Forecast
We are still looking at a lot of the same for tomorrow. Warm and humid with scattered showers and a few storms. Then a cold front from the Midwest will swoop down and dry things out for Thursday. After that we are looking great going into the weekend with mostly to partly sunny skies and highs in the 70s from Friday through Sunday.
Good News: Just four more days until Friday! Bad News: It’s Monday. In my head and on repeat, I play the words of Sir Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats, ‘I don’t like Mondays’. So lets not talk about it anymore. Now that you’re some what recovered from whichever of the festivals you chose to partake in, let’s get a quick recap of a couple of events that happened over the weekend.
The Belmont House Of Smoke was packed Saturday night as The Dahus rocked the crowd. Larry Frame and Buddy Rich, Jr aka Drew Orton make up this dynamic duo that quickly dethrone The Black Keys as the Kings Of the Duopoly Rock Stars. They will be a LMF guest this summer on a TBA date, so make sure you stayed in tune to this blog.
This last weekend we had some of the most beautiful weather that I’ve seen in a while. We had dry conditions, mild temps, and a slight breeze. Our family went up to Blue Bird Gap farm in Hampton on Saturday. Then after some Mother’s Day things in the morning, I painted the deck Sunday afternoon. Now you know… Last night a few showers snuck in ahead of schedule and made me sweat my painted masterpiece. Luckily it had a chance to dry before the sprinkles arrived. Today we’ll see some scattered showers. They will mostly be on the light side, but a few thunderstorms will try to mix in during the afternoon.
Today's Weather Forecast
Over western Virginia/North Carolina there will be some heavy rain, and it will train over the same area again and again. We call this training, because it is similar to train cars go over the tracks. So there will probably be some flooding between Asheville, Charlottesville, and just west of D.C. Part of this is due to some orographic lift helping the overrunning. Orographic lift basically means that when air hits mountains the air literally gets shoved upward. This rising air can cause clouds and rain to form or at least to become enhanced. That is the case for today. Locally, we are only expecting about a quarter to a half inch of rain. However they could see 3-5 inches between Charlottesville to Frederick VA.
Forecast Rain Totals
For the next 2-3 days we’ll see a stuck weather pattern. A weak/broad area of low pressure will slowly meander through the region. By Thursday it will push out, and we’ll be setup for a nice 3-5 days stretch through the weekend. An offshore low could form around Sunday, but for now it looks like it will be far enough offshore to not affect our weather. We’ll possibly see a repeat of this last weekend if nothing changes. Stay tuned on that one.
It was a little chilly in a few spots this morning with temperatures in the low 40s in Ahoskie and in West Point. It won’t matter in the afternoon since we should have our highs in the upper 70s to even 80 degrees in a few spots this afternoon.
Sunny Today
High pressure is still in control today. This should keep our skies clear and allow those temperatures to warm up so fast. But for areas in Roanoke and west today there will likely be a thick blanket of clouds slowly moving closer towards us. Its part of a pretty strong area of low pressure that brought several tornadoes to Texas just 2 days ago. By the time it gets here on Monday and likely Tuesday, it will be weak only bring showers.
Now we can’t forget about tomorrow, its Mother’s Day! The weather is looking spectacular for the Mom’s especially in the morning for brunch where we should still have sunshine, in the afternoon we will likely see more clouds than sunshine.
Near 80 on Mother's Day
Temperatures should still be warm on Monday, but then cooling down a little bit more once the rain arrives Tuesday.
The main act has finally hit the stage: FRIDAY! Thursday was a doll as an opener but it lacks the firepower and stage presence as Friday does. There was plenty of firepower in the studio today as Newport News pop/rock act, Holly Would… rocked the stage today…or should I say, rocked the interview area today. Since it’s our Deserving Mom Makeovers Week, we decided to put the band on our “side stage” in order to give these lovely women their due. Lead singer David Elliott along with bassist Kevin Criner and drummer Cory Ward make up this newly signed rock act. They just signed a deal with PA-based One Day Savior Recordings and they are heading up to VuDu studios in Long Island to record their full length album slated for release in October. Check out some behind the scenes photos of the show right here.
A ton of great live shows are on tap featuring some LMF alums and future guests.
Friday
J.Pharaoh and The Manhattan Project, who will be our LMF guest May 25, will be out at Geared Up in VB along with Pilot!, Bear Crossing, Invaluable and The Following Morning. The place starts rockin’ at 9p
710 Oil along with fellow LMF alum, Star 33 will be hitting up AJ Gators at Chesapeake Square. Dawns Last Day joins in on the fun. Show kicks off at 9p.
Over on the peninsula, Our good friends The Dharma Initiative are playing the Yorktown Pub. The grooves start rolling at 9p.
Saturday
The Mirrors will be heading out to The Belmont House Of Smoke in Norfolk with The Gloom and The Dahus. The roof will start to blow off the joint at 8p.
These are just a handful of the shows that are going down this weekend. For a much greater list of who’s playing, check Grumbada’s Favorite Local Bands on Facebook. Hit the notes tap and you’ll find a complete list of who’s playing seven days a week.
If you’re not listening to The Local Music Show on 96x then there is something seriously wrong with you. The show airs Sunday nights at 11p and featuring the best of the 757 from all genres. If it’s too late in the evening for you, no worries, a podcast of the show will be available the next day.
We started off the big Mother’s Day weekend just right. We had some spotty clouds early this morning which pushed southeast and let the sun shine through:
Tower Cam In Virginia Beach
Temperatures were in the 50s mostly with a few 60s near the shore and a few 40s far inland. We will have a light northwest wind today with dry conditions. It will be very comfortable this afternoon with highs in the low/mid 70s. For the next few days we will have a large area of high pressure in control of the weather. It will make for some really nice outdoor conditions.
Large Area Of High Pressure
Notice the large area of rain over Texas. They finally got some short-term relief in the western part of the state. That upper level system is going to head east and bring some minor drought relief to Georgia. They are suffering from a long-term drought as well. That system will then slowly move to the east coast and then will move offshore and northeast. It will bring us a chance for some showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, but could change track. So stay tuned for any changes to the rain chances for those days. In the mean time enjoy the great weekend. There are a lot of graduations, the Greek Festival, the Wine Festival, and Mother’s Day. So it will be busy. Enjoy!
It is going to be a beautiful weekend to enjoy all your outdoor plans. And there are likely many things on the list–Mother’s Day brunch, graduations, festivals. Jeremy says to expect great weather conditions. You can check out his forecast here.
But be aware, another road work project may get in your way. Gilmerton Bridge along Military Highway in Chesapeake closes at 8 o’clock tonight and will reopen by 5 o’clock Monday. The closure is part of the Gilmerton Bridge Replacement Project, which is expected to wrap up in late 2013.
You can use the I-64 High Rise Bridge or the Downtown Tunnel as alternates. Maritime traffic should not be affected.
May 16th, 2012 at 2:08 pm by Jeff Edmondson WAVY under Weather
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