The low pressure system that has caused havoc in New England is finally going to move away as it weakens. Major flooding after record breaking rainfall is affecting many in Rhode Island and Massachussetts and in the surrounding areas. I picked up nearly 3 inches of rain from that storm system. Now, we dry out for several days as high pressure builds into the Mid-Atlantic states. Temperatures will trend upward of the next few days. By the weekend, we might see temperatures peaking out above the 80 degree mark. Areas along the coast will be cooler when the breeze turns onshore. Water temperatures are very chilly. Precipitation so far this year is running above normal and that is typical of an El Nino winter season.

The cold high pressure area that brought quite a chill to Hampton Roads Friday afternoon through Saturday is moving away and on its backside is an onshore flow that will help to bring in moisture out ahead of a low pressure system approaching from the west. Clouds will be on the increase on Sunday but I think we will make it through most of the day before significant precipitation arrives. The low pressure system that will be affecting the region Sunday night and Monday will turn out to be quite a wet system, potentially bringing over an inch of rain here locally. Areas to our north may see higher amounts, possibly up to 3 inches in Delaware and points north and east. If you are traveling on Monday, please drive carefully and leave plenty of room in front of your vehicle. The low will be slow to move away and we could see the wet weather continue into Tuesday. Then, the pattern is expected to change and we may see a major warm up by late in the week. The 80 degree mark may be reachable in some inland locations. Along the coast, an occassional sea breeze may keep temperatures down at times. Remember, at this time of year, the ocean and bay water temperatures are very chilly, so a breeze off of the water will be quite cool for those along the coastal regions. So, in summary, we’ll see a decent Sunday and then things go downhill Sunday night with rain, possibly heavy at times lasting into Monday. Tuesday may again be unsettled but warmer, sunnier weather will be here for later in the week.

Forecasters did not think that the system currently affecting our region would bring this much precipitation. It’s not the intensity of the rainfall. It’s the duration. There was only supposed to be a period of rain Friday morning and then just a sprinkle or shower in the afternoon as the colder air moved in. Well, it rained on and off from around noon through the late evening! I picked up about a half inch of rain. Forecasters accurately predicted that the cold was coming but they underestimated the duration of the precipitation. Temperatures started out in the low 60’s and they dropped rapidly early Friday afternoon into the middle 40’s. Winds picked up as the rain began to fall. Saturday looks sunny, but temperatures will be way below normal for late March. Winds will slowly slacken off. Temperatures probably won’t get out of the 40’s along coastal areas. Sunday looks decent but clouds will be moving in ahead of yet another low pressure system. Showers are possible late in the day, but they should hold off until after dark. Rain/showers are a good bet early Monday. Temperatures on Sunday will rebound to normal levels. There are indications that a major warm-up is coming later next week. We’ll have to see if that materializes. I’ll have an update on Sunday.

If you liked the weather on Saturday, odds are that you will like Sunday’s weather, also. Conditions should be very similar. There may be a few more clouds by later Sunday afternoon. However, this is March, and so warm sunny conditions just cannot last that long. A cold front and its associated low pressure system are moving eastward and will impact our weather on Monday. Rain is a good bet for Hampton Roads but temperatures should be on the mild side. Tuesday may start out on the damp side but improving conditions are expected. Wednesday and Thursday look decent, but another system may make things unsettled later in the week. Colder weather may be making a return towards the end of the month, so winter may want to make one last stand before it’s all said and done. I don’t think we’ll see wintry precipitation, but chilly and blustery conditions may make a return before we get into true spring weather…. Well, I’m going to tune up my lawn mower today as my grass (and weeds) are growing quite rapidly as the temperatures have warmed up. Moisture has been plentiful lately so I don’t expect to see many lawn sprinklers operating over the next several days. (At least, I hope that’s the case). That’s it for now.

Winter is finally over! Although it wasn’t a record breaking winter, it did seem like a very long and chilly winter season this year. Snowfall was only slightly above average, which is 8.2 inches at ORF. A SW breeze will bring mild temperatures to the Hampton Roads region this weekend. It will be a great weekend for starting your gardening or just getting out for a long walk. While it will be nice here, a cold air mass is slowly moving across the mid-section of the country producing snow in some areas. This cold front will approach our area on Monday bringing with it a good chance of rain or showers. Temperatures will cool down a bit as we head into the middle of next week. That’s it for now. Try to get out there and enjoy the weather this weekend. I’ll have an update on Sunday.