The Grand Illumination took place Saturday night in Norfolk and Portsmouth.  There was a bit of a breeze and a chill in the air.  With Thanksgiving only days away, a lot of people are now in “holiday-mode.”

If you are planning on traveling or shopping on Monday, be sure to carry your umbrella and wear a jacket.  Occasional rain is still in the forecast and winds will be NE 15-25 mph with gusts to 30 mph along the coast.  Tides will be running 1-1.5 feet above normal, so very minor tidal flooding is possible in some areas during high tide between 12 noon and 2 pm on Monday.  If you are flying on Monday, there could be some airport delays along the mid-Atlantic due to the rainy and breezy conditions.  Travel safely!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

After all the bad weather we’ve had recently, I wanted to post some good science news.   

The Leonid Meteor Shower peaks each November and this year’s shower will peak around 4 AM Tuesday morning, November 17th.  Over the Northern Hemisphere, we can expect to see 20-30 meteors per hour.  With a new moon and mainly clear skies, viewing conditions will be ideal tonight.  If you’ll be heading outside to view the meteor shower, make sure you have a jacket.  Temperatures will drop to between 46 and 53 degrees overnight.

Happy viewing!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

We’ve all been through a rough few days in Hampton Roads and northeast North Carolina.  Thankfully, improvement is in sight for many of us.  However, we will see at least one more round of minor tidal flooding on Sunday morning.  Tides are still running about 2 feet above normal and minor tidal flooding will occur between 6am and 8am.  River flooding will also be an issue along the Blackwater River at Franklin and the Nottoway River at Sebrell.  The Blackwater River is currently at 13 feet and will rise to about 13.5 feet in the next day or so (flood stage is 12 ft).  The Nottoway River is currently at 15.4 feet and will rise to about 17.8 feet over the next few days (flood stage is 16 ft).  Minor tidal flooding is expected at both locations.

For the rest of us, expect gradual clearing from west to east on Sunday.  Be patient for the sunshine.  If the beaches stay socked in with clouds for most of Sunday, sunshine is in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday!  Can’t wait for the sun to return! 

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

This evening’s high tide ran slightly above predicted which makes me think that tides could top 8 feet by Thursday afternoon/evening’s high tide.  During the height of Isabel, the tide was 7.9 feet.  The highest tides for Hampton Roads and northeast North Carolina will be between 4pm-7pm Thursday and 4am-7am Friday.  If you live in a low-lying or flood prone area, please move your vehicle to higher ground and do not attempt to drive through water of unknown depth.  If your area flooded during Isabel, chances are it will flood again.  Hopefully you already have a “hurricane kit” in place so you don’t have to run out to the store to get supplies at the last minute.  As of this writing, there are already 8000+ homes without power in Hampton Roads/NE North Carolina due to downed trees.  Winds offshore are already gusting to 56 mph at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and could gust close to or even over 60 mph Thursday and Thursday night.  As more rain continues to fall, the saturated ground will likely lead to more downed trees and power outages.

If you don’t have to travel over the next couple of days, it may be better just to stay home.

Stay safe.

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

Ida is pretty healthy right now.  With sustained winds of 105 mph as of the 6PM CDT update, Ida is a strong category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Tomorrow and Tuesday, Ida should start to weaken as it encounters more upper-level wind shear and moves into somewhat cooler waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Ida is expected to make landfall between eastern Louisiana and the Florida panhandle late Monday or early Tuesday.  No one really knows how strong the storm will be at that point.  Ida will be interesting to watch to say the least.  We’ll keep you posted.

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

After a couple days of showers and drizzle, clouds may still be around as you head out to the polls Tuesday morning.  However, expect skies to clear as the day wears on.  For those of you who will be voting in the afternoon, make sure you have your sunglasses if you have  to stand outside in line in the sunshine.  High temperatures will be a bit warmer than it’s been lately.  Highs will be in the middle 60s.  If you’re waiting until Tuesday evening to vote, expect clear skies and temperatures falling back into the 50s, so be sure to bring a light jacket.

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

The leaves continue to turn shades of orange, yellow and red all across Virginia and North Carolina. 

This photo is from Bob in Wachapreague on the Eastern Shore.  Thanks Bob! 

Please continue to email your fall foliage photos to us at weather@wavy.com.

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

The leaves are changing across Virginia and North Carolina.  October is my favorite time of the year! 

In the mountains of VA and NC, there is 50-75% change in color.  The Piedmont has 25-50% color and so far there is less than 25% change in Hampton Roads and northeast NC.  Expect peak color within the next one to three weeks depending on location.

Please send your fall foliage pictures to us at weather@wavy.com.  We’d love to see them!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

If you thought it was unusually chilly today, you’re exactly right!  A record low maximum of 50 degrees was set at Norfolk International Airport today.  The average high temperature for this time of the year is around 70 degrees.  Expect more of the same on Sunday: clouds, drizzle, a few showers, and highs in the 50s.  It will also be breezy with northerly winds between 10-25 mph.  Strong northerly winds combined with high astronomical tides will lead to minor to moderate tidal flooding during high tide on Sunday.  High tide will be between 8 AM and 10 AM.  Move your car if you live in a low-lying flood prone area.

Stay warm!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

After some patchy dense fog in spots this morning, skies will become mostly sunny today.  It’ll be warm too with highs in the lower to middle 70s.  Enjoy today because it will be the last nice day for a while.  Expect clouds, rain showers and windy conditions late Wednesday into Saturday morning.  A possible coastal storm will keep our weather quite unsettled through the rest of the work-week.  Temperatures will be drastically cooler with high temperatures only in the 50s. 

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson