Taking a deeper dive into a strong storm

OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – Today was a relatively pleasant day around the area, with mostly cloudy skies and mild temperatures. Both Beckley and Bluefield were well above their normal highs and lows.

But it’s the calm before the storm as a strong low-pressure center comes at us from the west. The storm has produced some rough weather in parts of the Plains and Midwest today, especially in Oklahoma.

Tonight will be a mild one with lows in the upper 40s to around 50 degrees. The winds will begin to pick up as the approaching low interacts with high pressure to our east.

Tomorrow will start cloudy, and we’ll wind up in the lower 60s, so it will be quite warm for the 9^th of January. But the big story will be the chance for rain. By tomorrow afternoon, the rain will be here and will be heavy at times.

I think we’ll avoid any thunder (at least in our area), but with the temperatures so warm, the rain will have an “April showers” feel. Our forecasted average high of 61 degrees is the average high in Beckley from April 5th through 7th! Lows tomorrow night will only drop into the lower 50s as the chance for rain continues. The best chance for rain is in the southern coalfields, but everyone will need the umbrellas.

Saturday, the rain will become even more intense, especially in the south.

There is even a chance for severe storms, and the Storm Prediction Center’s Saturday morning/Sunday morning outlook has a small chance over the far southern portion of the area! If there are severe storms, damaging winds are the main threat.

While the severe weather threat is confined to the south, the rain will be more widespread everywhere. The first of two storm systems will come through the region, and it will have plenty of moisture to work with. After a brief break, more wet weather is in the forecast on Sunday. Rain totals are not expected to be as high as we thought yesterday, but will still be impressive.

This next system has the colder air with it, and as temperatures fall Saturday night and Sunday morning, the rain will change over to snow in most areas.

With the colder air in place, the first part of next week will be much colder than it is now, with highs in the middle 30s, rising into the lower to middle 40s by Tuesday. Another storm pushing into the region on Wednesday means more chances for precipitation, and this time, we’ll see a mix of rain and snow.