Weather Headlines
ALERT For Waves Of Heavy Rainfall With The Potential For Locally Strong-Severe Thunderstorms
*Waves of heavy rainfall will impact the mountain region today, with the chance for locally strong to severe thunderstorms.
Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio and your favorite media sources for possible watches and warnings which may be needed.
*The first wave of unseasonably cold air will impact the mountain area during Wednesday-Thursday AM of 5-6 May.
*A second, stronger wave of record-level cold air is expected to impact the mountain region by the upcoming weekend (centered on 9-10 May 2020).
Previous Statements
*A chilly dawn Saturday will give way to a much warmer afternoon. This welcomed break in the relentless wetness of 2020 should be enjoyed.
Update: Temperatures dropped below freezing in colder mountain valleys at upper elevations in the High Knob Massif, with low-mid 30s observed within colder middle to lower elevation valleys. A few specific minimums included 33 degrees on Hurricane Road (Wise Plateau), 36 degrees in City of Norton and 36 degrees at Clintwood 1 W. Certainly cold enough for areas of frost.
Reference my Research Focus on Big Cherry Basin for more information.
*This wet and stormy pattern will renew itself by Sunday night into Monday, and persist into much of next week. More significant to locally excessive rain will be likely (with placement of heaviest rains to be determined in coming days).
Although a rain shower can not be ruled Sunday afternoon, the best rain chances will develop Sunday evening into the overnight-early morning hours of Monday to mark the first wave of several to impact the soggy mountain landscape next week.
*An unseasonably cold pattern for early May is also being monitored for the potential of record low temperatures in the 7-10 day forecast period.
Interactive 500 MB Flow Field_North America
*A classic setting for unseasonably cold temps, perhaps record cold, is being predicted to develop by the 51-member European Model ensemble mean.
Timing and intensity is subject to change, of course, at this distance, but this has been a persistent trend and will be expected to develop toward the end of the first week of May or beginning of the second week (the above would create record cold temperatures on the morning of May 9).
Wet & Chilly Pattern In April 2020
April Precipitation Totals
(Ending 7-9 AM on 30 April)
Eagle Knob of High Knob Massif
12.40″
Big Cherry Lake Dam of High Knob Massif
11.59″
Robinson Knob-High Chaparral of High Knob Massif
11.46″
*City of Norton Water Plant
10.09″
*The wettest April on record since 1983, just beating the 10.07″ observed during April 1998. No records are available for what would have been the wettest April in 1977.
**Clintwood 1 W
8.68″
**The second wettest April on record at Clintwood 1 W (1964-present), just behind the 9.05″ observed during April 1998. A total of 8.17″ fell during April 1977 (mostly in the 3-5 April flood event).
***Wise (UVA-Wise)
8.63″
***The third wettest April on record in Wise behind the 9.24″ in April 1998 and the 9.59″ in April 1977 (record period 1956-present). The bulk of rain in 1977 fell during the great flood event of 3-5 April.
Up to 15.00″ of rainfall were estimated during the benchmark flood event of April 1977, with orographic enhancement in favored locations on SW air flow trajectories (High Knob Massif-Landform and localized portions of Tennessee Valley Divide).
Jonesville 3.1 WSW
8.09″
Total Precipitation – Fast Start To 2020
Precipitation Totals: Ending AM of 1 May 2020
Eagle Knob of High Knob Massif
43.45″ (M)
Big Cherry Dam of High Knob Massif
41.49″
City of Norton Water Plant
34.79″
Jonesville 3.1 WSW
32.38″
Appalachia Lake Water Plant
32.26″
Clintwood 1 W
29.12″
Coeburn Filter Plant
28.66″
Wise (UVA-Wise)
28.13″
Long Ridge (Nora 4 SSE)
24.01″
A torrid precipitation pace, for the third consecutive year, has produced amounts within wetter portions of the High Knob Massif which have exceeded the long-term annual average for the state of Virginia!
The insane aspect, of course, it’s only taken 4 months. There are 8 more months to go!
Reference A Torrid Precipitation Pace for more information.