WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, WV): Episodes of showers are expected through midweek and then all attention focuses on likely Hurricane Helene’s expected impacts.
Chief Meteorologist Chad Merrill has the latest:
An upper trough will ignite 10-minute showers that will then fade to blue sky through the evening. We will see the same pattern continue Tuesday and Wednesday. This type of rain won’t ease the drought, but it will keep it from getting worse.
HURRICANE HELENE IN THE MAKING: Low pressure east of Central America has many factors on its side to fully develop into a hurricane, including warm water and slightly cooler upper-level temperatures to foster organization of thunderstorms around its center. The storm will hit a major upper-level blocking pattern in the East after arrival along the eastern Gulf Coast on Thursday. This will steer it west instead of north, so the circulation center will veer west into the Mississippi Valley.
Local Impacts From Helene Thursday into Friday: Gusts 35-45 mph and less than one inch of rain on Friday.
The barometric pressure will drop significantly Thursday into Friday as Helene makes its closest approach in the Tennessee Valley on Friday.
Expect lots of leaves to come down from the drought-famished trees, so back roads will be slippery simply due to the downed leaves late this week into early this weekend.
