Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!
We’re back from a one-week hiatus (thanks Ida) with a look into the tropics. We’re entering the historical peak of Atlantic hurricane season (Sept. 10 is considered the day with peak activity) and there will likely be numerous storms to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
First, let’s take a look back at the storms we’ve had so far this season. There have been 12 named storms through the first week of September, five of which became hurricanes. There have been three major storms to this point: Grace, Ida and Larry.
The table below shows how 2021 compares to the three previous hurricane seasons.
We’ve used up all of the names A-L on this year’s list. Nine names remain and if all of those are exhausted, a supplementary list will be used.
Remember, the Greek alphabet has been retired for the naming of tropical systems.
Hurricane Larry is our only active storm at the moment. It continues to churn in the open Atlantic as a Category 3.
The only impact Larry will have on the United States will be rough surf and rip currents on the East Coast.
The latest track from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) brings the storm east of Bermuda and eventually up towards eastern Canada and Greenland. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves through cooler ocean waters.
There is one more disturbance to watch in the tropics. It’s currently in the Gulf of Mexico and will move northeast towards Florida this week.
NHC is giving this one a 40-percent chance of becoming tropical in the next five days. If it can beat the odds and get a name, the next one on the list is “Mindy.”
If any upcoming storm is forecast to bring impacts to Southwest and Central Virginia, we’ll certainly let you know about it!
Switching gears to your local forecast, we’ll have some ups and downs in the temperature department this week. Meteorologist Chris Michaels says this is typical for the early days of meteorological fall! He breaks down what we’re expecting in our daily forecast article.
You can always get specific forecast details for your zone, whether it’s the Roanoke Valley, Southside, the Highlands or elsewhere around Southwest and Central Virginia, anytime at WSLS.com/weather. Know your zone!
In case you missed it, we’re posting great weather and science content on WSLS.com. Here are a few links from the past week to check out:
- UN: Weather disasters soar in numbers, cost, but deaths fall
- Two EF-1 tornadoes reported in Montgomery County after Tuesday’s storms
- Meet September’s 3 Degree Guarantee recipient: Total Action for Progress
- Willard Scott, weatherman on NBC’s ‘Today’ show, dies at 87
If you prefer your weather information delivered by social media, you can follow Your Local Weather Authority on Facebook and Twitter.
You can also keep up with me on social media. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, follow along!
— Justin McKee
Source: WSLS News 10
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