Continued warmth, but spring weather is ramping up

This Wednesday morning most Mecklenburg county stations recorded temperatures in the low 40s. Those numbers will climb into the upper 70s this afternoon thanks to dry air and plenty of bright March sunshine.  That's over 15 degrees warmer than today's average high, quite an upwards bounce from the cooler than average conditions the past couple of months.

Overnight clouds will creep in as a backdoor cold front crosses south through the county this evening. Thursday looks to be partly sunny, with morning lows in the mid-40s and afternoon highs still reaching the low 70s. Boaters and fisherfolk should be aware that these warm air temperatures are mitigated by the chilly waters of Buggs Island Lake / Kerr Reservoir. Water temperatures are still hovering in the mid-40s(!).

Virginia's Severe Weather Awareness Week continues, with today's emphasis being severe thunderstorms. Unfortunately a lot of folks don't pay much attention to weather warnings for these powerful storms. This video provides a look at the strong straight-line winds that accompany those events. Other important information is available at the NWS Wakefield link. 

And finally, here's another reminder that spring is a weather transition season and can get very busy. This busy and messy graphic outlines the weather hazards across the U.S. over the next week. 

Note that this coming Sunday (3/16) could bring heavy rain and severe weather to Mecklenburg county (located at the red star). More details on that possibility will come in Friday's blogpost.