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It’s never been hotter in November than it was Monday at Lynchburg and Roanoke, a day that was warmer than 17 days of the previous summer at Lynchburg and 20 summer days at Roanoke.
Just don’t get used to it.
Lynchburg’s high of 84 degrees was the hottest November temperature ever recorded in the Hill City, going back to 1893. It beat out 83 degrees recorded on Nov. 1, 1950; Nov. 1 and 2, 1974; and Nov. 2, 2016. Coming five to six days later on the calendar than any of those, it is also the warmest it has ever been so late in the fall season at Lynchburg. Monday’s high of 84 also smashed Lynchburg’s Nov. 7 daily record, 77 in 1965, by 7 degrees.
Roanoke’s high of 83 degrees tied the hottest November temperature for the Star City, going back to 1912. It tied highs of 83 also recorded on Nov. 1, 1950, and Nov. 2, 2016. It was also the hottest it has been so late in the fall season at Roanoke. Monday’s high eclipsed the previous daily record high for Nov. 7, 78 in 1945, by 5 degrees.
Blacksburg didn’t set a monthly record but did tie the daily Nov. 7 record high. It was also 76 on Nov. 7, 1975. Blacksburg’s November monthly record high is 82 on Nov. 2, 2004.
Danville hit 82 degrees but that came up a degree short of its Nov. 7 daily record high of 83 set in 1975. Danville soared to 86 on Nov. 3, 1974, for its warmest November temperature on record.
Sunday brought mid-80s high temperatures to the Tri-Cities Airport just across the state line from Bristol in Tennessee, with 84 being the hottest November temperature on record since records began in 1938, beating out 82 on Nov. 1, 2016. Tri-Cities hit 78 on Monday to set a daily Nov. 7 record high, beating out 77 in 1938.
The November warmth is going away. Temperatures in Southwest and Southside Virginia will be back in the 30s by Wednesday morning, with near-normal 50s and 60s highs most of the rest of the week, leading up to a likely soaking rain on Friday as a tropical system and cold front converge near our region. Next week is likely to bring a surge of winterlike cold to much of the central and eastern U.S., including our region.
Journalist Kevin Myatt has been writing about weather for 19 years. His weekly column is sponsored by Oakey’s, a family-run, locally-owned funeral home with locations throughout the Roanoke Valley.