With all of the crazy weather we’ve been having lately, I think I need a raise.  Boss???  Today we have 2 big things going on in weather.  First off is the heat.  We’ll get to the storms in a minute.  While temps weren’t too bad this morning, we will see the temps build quickly through the afternoon.  We started the day with low-mid 70s and mostly sunny skies.  Skies will remain mostly sunny through about noon, then the clouds will start to build.  High temperatures are shooting for the mid 90s with several upper 90s inland.  The heat index in Hampton Roads will be between 100-107.  So there is a heat advisory for the Peninsula, most of the southside, and all of northeast North Carolina until 6pm:

Heat Advisory

With all of the heat and humidity we will have a very unstable atmosphere.  This will be south of a fast moving cold front that will come out of Canada and the Great Lakes region.  The Bermuda high will steadily get pushed south.

Today’s Forecast Map.

I’m pretty concerned about these storms today.  There were already some strong storms up around northern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  These storms will quickly move southeast through the midday hours.  I will say that Derechoes (large scale straight-lined wind events) are tough to predict, but there are some similar conditions today to the late June derecho of this year.  There is a set of storms forming just north of a cold front which can be one indicator.  We also have pretty strong mid level winds as well as lots of instability later today.  We are under a slight risk for severe weather for later this afternoon into the evening.  Again the main threat will be straight-lined winds, regardless of whether or not a derecho forms. Storms are expected between 3pm and 8pm, but the timing may change a little.  So stay tuned on that.

Slight Risk For Severe

I wouldn’t even be surprised if part of the slight risk area got upgraded to a moderate risk in a later update.  By this evening the storms will be moving through our viewing area.  The front will quickly push south out of Pennsylvania and head into Maryland and Virginia.

Front Moves Through Tonight.

Lows tonight will be in the low 70s.  Tomorrow, we will get the payoff.  It will be gorgeous outside.  Highs will be in the mid-upper 80s with mostly sunny skies and a little lower humidity.  Winds will be northeast at 10-15mph.

Tomorrow’s Forecast

Notice that the cold front doesn’t get too far south.  So the heat will be gone for one day, and then it will shoot right back in by Wednesday night as the boundary lifts north as a warm front.  Highs will be back in the mid-to-upper for Thursday and Friday.  That’s a lot to take in I’m sure.  So I will cover a little more about the weekend in tomorrow’s blog. Be safe out there.

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler