Weather

Wildfires are breaking out as there is yet to be any sign of an El Niño-charged wet pattern. Also, a recap of last week’s chilly morning lows.

Sunday was like August; Thursday morning will be like January. Ongoing dryness and gusty winds are triggering wildfires in western Virginia.

There is no sign of a similar wet pattern developing yet, with dry days ahead that could reach into the lower 80s in some locations this weekend.

Reinforcement of colder air this weekend will bring out more sweaters and, perhaps, more high-elevation snowflakes.

Lots of things get said about the link between the equatorial Pacific and our winter, but nothing is etched in stone.

Cooler temperatures arrive this weekend — maybe some snowflakes in West Virginia’s mountains? — but no sign of substantial rainfall anytime soon for increasingly dry Southwest and Southside Virginia.

Second in series focusing on Cardinal News locales examines a crossroads for weather in our region. Also, a quick look back at Ophelia, a storm at the crossroads of seasons.

A breezy, damp to wet day is likely Saturday across most of Cardinal News coverage area, perhaps excluding a few counties in the Southwest corner.

Fall began Sept. 1 on the meteorological calendar. Saturday’s start of autumn on the astronomical calendar may bring a windy soaking to parts of Virginia.

Hail damaged the scoreboard on the rainiest Virginia Tech game day on record Saturday, but thankfully, the lightning bolts missed everyone.

—