For those of you heading out for Easter services, or any other reason, you should bring your rain gear. An area of rain/showers is moving our way and should get here by mid-day. Rain chances diminish tonight and there might be a rumble of thunder in some areas but widespread severe weather is not anticipated with this weather system. The cold front that will move through our region tonight is relatively weak, so temperatures on Monday will be quite mild. Another stronger cold front will move through Monday night and there will be much colder air following that front. Temperatures will drop back to below normal levels on Tuesday and especially Wednesday. Temperatures should slowly moderate but weather forecasters will have to keep an eye on another potential low pressure system that may impact us later in the week. It’s much too soon for any details but Friday could be a wet day.

After a prolonged period of below normal temperatures, we are finally going to see temperatures at or above normal over the next few days, but unfortunately, showers will be around on Easter Sunday. Winds will swing around to the southeast and then the south out ahead of a developing low pressure system to our west. It probably won’t rain all day on Sunday, but rain chances will be increasing as we head into the afternoon.  We should dry out on Monday and temperatures are expected to actually be above normal making it feel spring-like. Don’t get used to the warm weather. A strong cold front is expected to move through the region Monday night which will be followed by chilly weather once again… One reason for the recent spell of unseasonably cold weather is a persistent low pressure system well to our northeast. The counter-clockwise flow around that system continually brought chilly air into our part of the world from Canada. An active jet stream brought storm systems through the region bringing periodic rain chances. I saw a report yesterday that some farmers in our area are having problems with their spring planting due to muddy conditions and standing water in the fields. If you remember last year, we had well above normal temperatures and the strawberries were ahead of schedule. I don’t think that is going to be the case this year.

The calendar says it’s spring but the weather here in the Mid-Atlantic States will not cooperate. And, based on what I see in the extended forecast, there isn’t much hope for an extended period of spring-like temperatures for several days. One of the reasons for the colder than normal weather is that the jet stream is further south than it normally is. This allows the cold air from the north to infiltrate further south. Another reason is a persistent low well to our northeast that is pulling down the colder air from Canada. Note that our normal high temperature at this time of year is around 60 degrees. A rather complex low pressure system is moving eastward towards our region and this system should make for a rather wet Sunday, especially later in the day. We should remain dry on Saturday with just some cloudiness at times. Winds should be on the light side through Saturday evening. As the low pressure systems move towards the East Coast, an area of precipitation will overspread Southeast Virginia. Some snow and sleet is even possible in parts of Virginia. I don’t think that we will have any major impacts from frozen precipitation here in Hampton Roads. The low pressure area will most likely consolidate and intensify but it will be north and east of us before it becomes very strong. If you recall, last year, our temperatures were averaging well above normal. It’s all about the weather pattern and this year, the pattern supports cold and occasionally wet conditions here in our part of the world.

We’re going to have several opportunities for some wet weather over the next few days. Currently, there’s a front to our south and there is also some shower activity moving eastward through the state of Virginia. Some portions of the area should see some showers later today (Sunday). Rain chances remain elevated through Tuesday, but there probably will not be a lot of rain. Due to the clouds and the northerly breeze, temperatures on Sunday will be much cooler than they were on Saturday. By mid-week, we should dry out and seasonal or below seasonal temperatures are expected later in the week. The extended period beyond that will probably be on the chilly side.

An elongated high pressure ridge will bring us great weather on Sunday. A light onshore breeze will cause it to be cooler the closer you are to the water. Areas inland should be several degrees warmer this afternoon. This is definitely a sign that spring is not that far away. It’s a fact that being near the water may be a disadvantage now since coastal areas won’t enjoy the warmer temperatures seen inland. However, keep in mind that in just a few short months, those areas near the water will see relief from the heat due to the cooling sea breezes. The winds should be more southerly or southeasterly on Monday which will bring in milder air. Clouds should increase later on Monday and showers should overspread the region late Monday night and Tuesday. After that, we will dry out and temperatures should be at seasonal levels for a few days. Note that the system that will bring us rain on Tuesday is going to bring some drought relief to parts of the Mid-West that have been enduring drought conditions.