That low pressure system that brought us the rain on Friday is actually going to try to take one more swipe at us today (Monday). This is the storm that wreaked havoc in parts of the Northeast over the weekend. (See my post from yesterday). The low is expected to drift southward before drifting out to sea. This southward push coupled with some energy and moisture on the low’s western side may bring us some showers or sprinkles today. The NW breeze will keep us a bit on the cool side. Tuesday will be another cool day, but temperatures are expected to slowly inch up later this week. Spring is just a week away so I think it’s safe to say that winter weather is over for Hampton Roads. I grew up in Northern New Jersey and I could remember seeing snow well into  April. Back in 1982, there was a blizzard up there on April 6th which snowed out the New York Mets home opener. I can still see the front page of the NY Daily News that showed a picture of Shea Stadium covered in snow. That’s it for now. Have a great day.

I don’t ever recall a weather system quite like the one that is affecting the Northeastern states this weekend. It has been wreaking havoc up there with very strong winds, copious amounts of rain, high surf, etc, etc. Despite the center of the low being located nearby, our weather really hasn’t been that bad. Saturday turned out much better than forecasters expected and Sunday is starting out quite nice here locally. However, a look at the national radar shows an area of rain/showers just to our west. Whether this area of rain will be able to pivot into Hampton Roads is something that forecasters are trying to figure out this morning. The wind flow aloft is quite unusual as this large low pressure system slowly (and I mean slowly) moves eastward over the next few days. Why were the winds so strong over parts of the Northeastern states on Saturday? Well, the main reason was the strong pressure gradient between the deep low pressure centered over Eastern VA and a rather strong high pressure system in Eastern Canada. The strongest winds are now slowly moving northward into New England. I’ve seen reports of numerous power outages and trees that were toppled from the winds. Flooding is also an issue up there. As the low pulls away only very slowly, we’ll get into a northerly or northwesterly flow that will bring down some cooler air on Monday. I’ll have an update on Monday.

A very broad area of low pressure extends from the Mid-West all the way to the Mid-Atlantic Coast. This is producing an extensive area of precipitation across much of the eastern part of the nation. The northeastern states will probably get the lion’s share of the rainfall but there is plenty of rain elsewhere. For our area, I think that we’ve seen the heaviest rain. Outside of a heavy shower or thundershower in some spots, I don’t think that we will see a prolonged period of heavy rain. Winds shouldn’t be that much of an issue either as the gradient has shifted well to our north. The pressure is quite low showing how strong this system is. On the national radar, it’s very strange to see the rain moving westward over states like PA, OH, and IN.  Flooding may be an issue for some areas of the Mid-West through the Northeast. With all the snow these areas received in recent months coupled with very heavy rainfall, conditions could go downhill very quickly. The Flood Watch that was in effect across SE VA has been discontinued. The low will slowly move to the east and be off the coast early next week. So, the weekend should feature lots of clouds and an occassional shower or two. The trend in temperatures early next week should be downward, but nothing too cold is expected. By the way, I picked up about three quarters of an inch of rain on Friday and early Saturday. I’ll have an update on Sunday.

Even a slight change in the wind direction can make a huge difference in the weather. On Saturday, a northerly wind made for a rather chilly day in Hampton Roads. The winds today (Sunday) should be more northwesterly, which will cause temperatures to be nearly 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. Temperatures are expected to stay at or slightly above normal for a few days and that hasn’t happened in quite a while. Dry weather is expected through Wednesday, but an approaching frontal system may mean some wet weather as we get to the Thursday to Saturday timeframe. It’s a little early for any specific details on this system, but rain seems a good bet during this period… I posted a new “weather fact” describing what we here in Hampton Roads should expect during the month of March. I’m going to do this monthly for the next 12 months describing what the month’s weather is normally like here in HamptonRoads. Please check it out. It’s entitled “March Weather in Hampton Roads”.

A large high pressure system to our west will keep us dry this weekend, but it is also producing a northerly flow that will keep us on the cool side on Saturday. On Sunday, forecasters believe that our winds will swing around to a westerly direction which will result in an increase in temperatures. No exceptional warmth is expected but just being normal will feel very mild as we’ve been through an extended stretch of below normal temperatures. We’re also entering the time of year when temperatures can be cooler near the water when the winds are off water that is still very chilly. That may be the case on Saturday as temperatures inland will be higher than areas to the east, such as northern VA Beach. The dry, mild weather should last through Wednesday. Then, we’ll have to watch a low pressure system developing to our south and west. One thing is for sure, precipitation type will not be an issue with this storm. It should all be in the liquid variety. I’ll have an update on Sunday.