ROANOKE, Va. – So far, this has been one of the coolest Mays on record in our area. 2020, however, has been one of the warmest years on record for us. For now, we’ll keep things cooler-than-average, with high temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday in the upper 50s and low to mid 60s.

The wind, while not as bad as it was Monday, will still be noticeable. We’ll be breezy at times Tuesday, but things should calm down mostly by Wednesday.

Wind forecast - Tuesday
Wind forecast - Tuesday

Late Wednesday into Thursday, a warm front will lift north of the region. This means a pretty significant pattern flip for us and for most of the eastern U.S.

What We're Tracking - Friday
What We're Tracking - Friday

By Thursday, our temperatures will top out in the 70s which is right in the sweet spot for this time of year. Come Friday and this weekend, a lot of us will make it into the 80s for the first time in over a month!

5-day high temperature trend
5-day high temperature trend

Given the warm air, humidity, and a front in somewhat-close proximity to the region, we’ll keep the chance for some hit-or-miss showers and storms in the forecast each afternoon through the weekend. This doesn’t mean that we’ll be completely washed out.

5-day rain chance trend
5-day rain chance trend

If you think this resurgence of summer-like warmth is a fluke, think again. The Climate Prediction Center’s 8-14 day temperature outlook takes us through Memorial Day weekend, and puts the bull’s eye for above-average warmth right over our area.

CPC 8-14 day temperature outlook
CPC 8-14 day temperature outlook

What this bull’s eye means is that there’s an 80% chance of warmer than average temperatures during that week. At the moment, there’s no definitive trend in rain chances in that time frame. We’ll adjust those in our forecast as we get closer.