A senior meteorologist at AccuWeather is telling Virginians to keep the snow shovel handy as colder weather may bring the white stuff early next week.
Thomas Kines, director of forecaster scheduling, said before the potential snow next week, we should prepare for a storm arriving later today.
“Rain will arrive late Friday afternoon and continue into Friday night. Rain amounts will average 0.75” to 1.25” and around the Shenandoah Valley and for that matter statewide,” Kines told AFP. “The highest amounts will probably be in the high ground to the east of the Valley.”
Kines said it’s not out of the question that a few spots on high ground to the east of the Valley could receive 1.5” to 2” of rain out of this storm system.
“Rainfall between 1” and 1.50” inches would likely cause some flooding in the Shenandoah Valley,” he said.
In addition to rain, windy weather will also arrive with this storm system. Kines said to expect gusts of 40-50 mph across the state Friday evening. The coast, he said, could see wind gusts up to 60 mph.
“Noticeably colder weather will follow the storm for the weekend,” Kines said. “Temperatures Saturday afternoon will be close to 40; then only in the lower 30s Sunday afternoon.”
By far, Kines said, next week will be the coldest weather of the season.
“There will likely be a couple of days next week when temperatures don’t make it to 30 degrees. But the cold weather we get is nothing like what the Midwest will have to endure,” Kines said. “Some places in the Midwest will experience daytime temperatures near zero. I don’t know what they did to agitate Mother Nature, but she certainly is having the last laugh.”
Precipitation predicted for early next week could fall as snow, Kines said. The extended forecast on the AccuWeather app shows more than 4″ of snow possible for the Greater Augusta area.
“Too early to say for sure if there will be snow but there is certainly the potential,” Kines said. “Keep the snow shovel handy.”
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Crystal Graham
