RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible in central Virginia Saturday afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front that will advance from west to east through the Commonwealth. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph from the severe storms. However, any of the thunderstorms that form Saturday afternoon and evening will have gusty winds, lightning, and locally heavy rainfall.
The first showers will form in far western Virginia by 1-2 p.m. as the cold front enters the state from the west. A line of showers and thunderstorms should grow ahead of the front as we enter through the warm afternoon hours with high temperatures reaching the mid-80s. Good southerly and southwesterly flow will transport this warmer air-mass into the Mid-Atlantic today and tomorrow ahead of the front. This will set the stage for storms as the cold front forces the air-mass to be lifted up in the atmosphere and form showers and thunderstorms. I expect the first rain and storms to reach the Richmond Metro between 5-6 p.m. Saturday, and end by 11 p.m. The entire line of showers and storms will clear eastern Virginia by 3 a.m. along with the cold frontal passage.
Stay with CBS 6, we’ll keep you ahead of the storm.
Meteorologist Carrie Rose
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