OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – There were some showers around yesterday afternoon, but as we discussed Thursday night, the front cleared the area far enough to the south to keep the number of showers and storms down. Still, some of the storms had some punch and dropped some decent rain. In areas that saw rain, patchy fog became a concern after sunset and remains so this morning. Lows this morning have been mild again, as the southerly flow and copious amounts of moisture keep it warmer than normal.
Today will be an active day around the region. The front that has pushed to our south over the last few days will push back to the north as a warm front, and with all that moisture still hanging around, heavy showers are in the forecast.
That equals potential issues with flash flooding. The Weather Prediction Center has once again forecast the entire area to be at risk for flash flooding, with the highest risk in areas along and to the northwest of the spine of the Appalachians. In that area, there is a 15 to 40% chance that the rain that falls in the storms will be high enough to cause flash flooding. In the other parts of the area, the risk is lower, but still there.
Any flooding will be localized and confined to the usual spots where water gathers when heavy rain falls in short time periods. Despite the cloud cover, temperatures will be warmer than they were yesterday, with highs in the lower 80s. Lows tonight will be mild again in relative terms, dropping into the lower 60s. That’s above normal for mid-September.
Tomorrow, a weak cool front pushes into and through the region, triggering a few showers and storms. We expect storm coverage to be smaller and the storms to be weaker than they’ll be today.
Still, the chance of flash flooding remains, as soils in most areas are saturated and rainfall totals will be high enough to cause ponding on some roads and standing water in low-lying spots. Despite the front, temperatures will not fall off at all. We’ll still see highs in the lower 80s. We end the weekend with clearing skies and lows in the lower 60s as dry weather takes over for a couple of days.
Click below for a video version of the forecast…
