Record warmth!

We tied the record high at RIC airport today, reaching 76 degrees. This record was originally set in 1991. If you like the spring-like air, it will stay around for at least another 24 hours. I expect us to shatter the record high of 71 tomorrow, which was set in 1938. Gusty southwest breezes, some early sunshine and morning temperatures near 60 degrees should set the stage for a very warm day. A cold front will offer some showers and thunderstorms later in the day into the night. Some of the storms potentially could be strong, depending on the timing of the front.

Today is National Weatherman's Day!

Did you know there was such a day? It's time to be grateful for the services we meteorologists provide! Forecasting certainly is a challenging business and probably will always be an inexact science as Mother Nature does whatever she wants. National Weatherman's Day commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen. He was born on February 5th, 1744.

What's coming up...

As I have alluded to over the last week and a half, we expect a good surge of cold air to arrive later this upcoming weekend. It will be brief though, with the chilly air around Sunday and Monday. Moderation will occur by the middle of the week. Looking at the longer range model data, a few dates to watch will be the 13th/14th for some rain, and then the 18th and 19th (again probably some rain) with another good surge of cold air arriving that week (by the 20th). It's possible later that week if the forecast pattern works out that some winter weather could be on the way by the 21st/22nd...but that's a long ways off!