Kevin Myatt
@kevinmyattwx.bsky.social
Weather writer for Cardinal News, covering SW & S'side Virginia. Senior writer/editor for Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Also on X (@kevinmyattwx) and Facebook (Kevin Myatt's Weather Wonders).
Factors didn't align that could have brought Imelda inland toward Virginia this week. This week's @cardinalnews.org
weather column looks at how that came about, plus how a more threatening setup with Hurricane Joaquin didn't fully manifest a decade ago this week. cardinalnews.org/2025/10/01/w...
weather column looks at how that came about, plus how a more threatening setup with Hurricane Joaquin didn't fully manifest a decade ago this week. cardinalnews.org/2025/10/01/w...
Why Hurricane Imelda didn’t become the ‘next Helene’ and why Joaquin 10 years ago wasn’t ‘Helene before Helene’
Factors that could have pulled Imelda inland for at least a partial sequel of Helene did not materialize this week, thankfully.
cardinalnews.org
October 2, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Factors didn't align that could have brought Imelda inland toward Virginia this week. This week's @cardinalnews.org
weather column looks at how that came about, plus how a more threatening setup with Hurricane Joaquin didn't fully manifest a decade ago this week. cardinalnews.org/2025/10/01/w...
weather column looks at how that came about, plus how a more threatening setup with Hurricane Joaquin didn't fully manifest a decade ago this week. cardinalnews.org/2025/10/01/w...
2-hour deluge made August wet at Roanoke, but it's 10th driest since late 1800s at Lynchburg. It's Galax's 2nd wettest summer of 21st century but 5th driest of past 94 years at Wytheville. Looking back at summer rain & heat on cool, dry last week of August. cardinalnews.org/2025/08/27/a...
A summer of downpours and stickiness, but not widespread rain or prolonged extreme heat
The last week of August is bringing the opposite of the stickiness that defined much of this summer.
cardinalnews.org
August 28, 2025 at 12:15 PM
2-hour deluge made August wet at Roanoke, but it's 10th driest since late 1800s at Lynchburg. It's Galax's 2nd wettest summer of 21st century but 5th driest of past 94 years at Wytheville. Looking back at summer rain & heat on cool, dry last week of August. cardinalnews.org/2025/08/27/a...
Chicken and the egg: Hurricane Erin passing east of us will spin down some cooler air for SW/S'side Va. But larger pattern shifting to decidedly cooler one also helping shove Erin away. Next week will have a fall-like flavor on a couple of mornings. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column:
How Hurricane Erin may help this August finish as one of our coolest on record
Cooler weather pattern bumping Erin out to sea, and Erin’s spin enhancing the cooler weather pattern.
cardinalnews.org
August 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Chicken and the egg: Hurricane Erin passing east of us will spin down some cooler air for SW/S'side Va. But larger pattern shifting to decidedly cooler one also helping shove Erin away. Next week will have a fall-like flavor on a couple of mornings. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column:
Roanoke avg high temps for 1st week of August have deep bookends as 74.6 in 2025 has beat out 76 from 1912, 1st year of data, for coolest on record. Avg temps figuring highs & lows slightly favor 1912, with 2025 2nd. Either way, historically cool start to Aug, slow warming ahead.
August 8, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Roanoke avg high temps for 1st week of August have deep bookends as 74.6 in 2025 has beat out 76 from 1912, 1st year of data, for coolest on record. Avg temps figuring highs & lows slightly favor 1912, with 2025 2nd. Either way, historically cool start to Aug, slow warming ahead.
In this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column, discussing the start-of-August cool streaks that are continuing (and actually deepened with many spots not making 70 on a rainy Wednesday) plus a look back at a sticky July and a look ahead to possible tropical trouble in days ahead.
August starts with historically cool days on heels of especially sticky July
Moisture is creeping back with showery days ahead, but hot temperatures look to stay away until next week.
cardinalnews.org
August 7, 2025 at 1:43 PM
In this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column, discussing the start-of-August cool streaks that are continuing (and actually deepened with many spots not making 70 on a rainy Wednesday) plus a look back at a sticky July and a look ahead to possible tropical trouble in days ahead.
(1/3) A couple more days of sticky-stormy weather for Southwest/Southside Va, then much cooler for the weekend, and drying out for most Sun-Mon. Maybe just a "hint" of fall with a couple 50s lows/70s highs days in many areas, and return of heat will be slow next week cardinalnews.org/2025/07/30/a...
A hint of fall? Front breaks through heat, stickiness for much cooler weekend
Low temperatures dip into the 50s and highs stay below 80 in much of Southwest and Southside Virginia by Sunday.
cardinalnews.org
July 31, 2025 at 11:18 AM
(1/3) A couple more days of sticky-stormy weather for Southwest/Southside Va, then much cooler for the weekend, and drying out for most Sun-Mon. Maybe just a "hint" of fall with a couple 50s lows/70s highs days in many areas, and return of heat will be slow next week cardinalnews.org/2025/07/30/a...
A little hotter on Thursday for SW/S'side Va, much hotter by Friday-Saturday (some mid-upper 90s in lower elevations), and steadily more humid thru weekend with scattered PM storms. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/07/23/b...
Backdoor opens for brief relief from stickiness and storms, but oven door soon opens with hot blast
It’s not quite as hot and less humid for a couple days, but temperatures soar again by the end of this week and sticky-stormy weather rebuilds into next week.
cardinalnews.org
July 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
A little hotter on Thursday for SW/S'side Va, much hotter by Friday-Saturday (some mid-upper 90s in lower elevations), and steadily more humid thru weekend with scattered PM storms. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/07/23/b...
Tropical Storm Chantal rain potential has ticked west on this Sunday. Some Southside Virginia areas may get band of 1-2 inches, locally more possible, with scattered showers/storms westward to near Blue Ridge. This starts return to stickier pattern with daily shower/storm chances in week ahead.
July 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Tropical Storm Chantal rain potential has ticked west on this Sunday. Some Southside Virginia areas may get band of 1-2 inches, locally more possible, with scattered showers/storms westward to near Blue Ridge. This starts return to stickier pattern with daily shower/storm chances in week ahead.
Tropical Storm Chantal expected to move NW into Carolinas on Sunday. Highly unlikely this storm will become a hurricane or move enough inland for significant rainfall in SW/S'side Virginia. Heat/humidity will edge upward next few days with chances of showers and storms slowly increasing.
July 5, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Tropical Storm Chantal expected to move NW into Carolinas on Sunday. Highly unlikely this storm will become a hurricane or move enough inland for significant rainfall in SW/S'side Virginia. Heat/humidity will edge upward next few days with chances of showers and storms slowly increasing.
"Thunder only happens when it's raining." Fleetwood Mac was wrong, thunder is heard and lightning strikes well beyond the rain sometimes, as Justin's radar grab below shows. More on lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/l...
July 3, 2025 at 12:15 PM
"Thunder only happens when it's raining." Fleetwood Mac was wrong, thunder is heard and lightning strikes well beyond the rain sometimes, as Justin's radar grab below shows. More on lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/l...
We're not talking "touch of fall" or anything like that for Southwest/Southside Va, but not as hot, less humid, and not stormy will be welcome by many for the Fourth of July weekend. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/h...
Holiday weather looks nearly perfect: Not too hot, not too humid, sunny and dry
Southwest and Southside Virginia will get a reprieve from recent extreme heat and sticky-stormy weather just in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
cardinalnews.org
July 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
We're not talking "touch of fall" or anything like that for Southwest/Southside Va, but not as hot, less humid, and not stormy will be welcome by many for the Fourth of July weekend. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/02/h...
Daily thunderstorms are taking a break over July 4 weekend for SW/S'side Va, but they'll be back. It doesn't take a strong storm to produce dangerous lightning. Some pics, stories, and tips, about lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column.
Lightning can be a hair-raising experience in summer thunderstorms
Getting inside a sturdy structure or at least an automobile is the best move when thunder roars, but just not being in water or being the tallest object around is a good start.
cardinalnews.org
July 3, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Daily thunderstorms are taking a break over July 4 weekend for SW/S'side Va, but they'll be back. It doesn't take a strong storm to produce dangerous lightning. Some pics, stories, and tips, about lightning in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column.
Slowly getting a little less hot but staying sticky with more storms in days ahead for Southwest/Southside Virginia. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/06/25/h...
Heat to become less extreme, but stickiness stays and stirs up storms
Soaring temperatures in late June are not necessarily a harbinger of the summer ahead, as last year proved.
cardinalnews.org
June 26, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Slowly getting a little less hot but staying sticky with more storms in days ahead for Southwest/Southside Virginia. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column: cardinalnews.org/2025/06/25/h...
Some 90-degree weather possible the next couple of days in parts of Southwest/Southside Virginia before chances of showers and thunderstorms pick up for the weekend. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/06/11/9...
90-degree heat begins to enter Virginia’s weather picture
It is actually a tad late for the first 90-degree temperatures of the year. Speaking of heat, don’t be late entering the Cardinal Weather summer heat prediction contest.
cardinalnews.org
June 12, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Some 90-degree weather possible the next couple of days in parts of Southwest/Southside Virginia before chances of showers and thunderstorms pick up for the weekend. This week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/06/11/9...
Reposted by Kevin Myatt
Look at the smoke over the Eastern USA tonight. Wildfires, mainly in Saskatchewan are the cause.
June 1, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Look at the smoke over the Eastern USA tonight. Wildfires, mainly in Saskatchewan are the cause.
Recounting Billy Bowling's chase of a tornadic supercell last Friday that almost crossed length of Kentucky in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. Calmer, cooler, mostly dry weather on way to Va through Saturday, shower chances by Memorial Day. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/21/s...
Southwest Virginia storm chaser tracks vicious tornadic supercell across Kentucky
The supercell that formed in the Missouri Ozarks on Friday traveled over 400 miles before unraveling just before it could get into Southwest Virginia early Saturday.
cardinalnews.org
May 22, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Recounting Billy Bowling's chase of a tornadic supercell last Friday that almost crossed length of Kentucky in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. Calmer, cooler, mostly dry weather on way to Va through Saturday, shower chances by Memorial Day. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/21/s...
Rough day of severe storms/tornadoes on this Friday to our west where Ohio/Miss rivers meet east into central Ky. For Va: (1) scattered storms/storm clusters during day that might be severe; (2) larger storm complex from west overnight, arriving well after peak heating but gusty winds possible.
May 16, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Rough day of severe storms/tornadoes on this Friday to our west where Ohio/Miss rivers meet east into central Ky. For Va: (1) scattered storms/storm clusters during day that might be severe; (2) larger storm complex from west overnight, arriving well after peak heating but gusty winds possible.
Flood watch (green) Mon-Tues follows beige stripe of moderate drought across Va. Preceding dryness reduces flood risk but still could be a bit too much runoff a little too fast for some. Widespread 1-3 inches, locally 4+, mostly light-moderate rain but heavier spurts in t-storms.
May 12, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Flood watch (green) Mon-Tues follows beige stripe of moderate drought across Va. Preceding dryness reduces flood risk but still could be a bit too much runoff a little too fast for some. Widespread 1-3 inches, locally 4+, mostly light-moderate rain but heavier spurts in t-storms.
Looking back at Virginia's most deadly tornado in Scott County 96 years ago in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/07/a...
'A dreadful cyclone that came this way’ — the legacy of Rye Cove, Virginia’s deadliest tornado, 96 years later
With haunting lyrics, the Carter Family trio memorialized the horrible loss of students’ lives at a destroyed school in 1929.
cardinalnews.org
May 8, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Looking back at Virginia's most deadly tornado in Scott County 96 years ago in this week's @cardinalnews.org weather column. cardinalnews.org/2025/05/07/a...
Perhaps some helpful weekend rain with stalling upper-level low/slow-moving front to ease light-moderate drought in much of Va. Best chance Sat PM/early Sun AM so may be timed to spare at least part of weekend days from washout. Sporadic showers/storms possible anytime Fri-Mon.
May 2, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Perhaps some helpful weekend rain with stalling upper-level low/slow-moving front to ease light-moderate drought in much of Va. Best chance Sat PM/early Sun AM so may be timed to spare at least part of weekend days from washout. Sporadic showers/storms possible anytime Fri-Mon.
14 years ago we were cleaning up from deadly tornadoes in SW/S'side Va. Pattern has kept most severe storms well to west this spring. Showery with a few storms Thurs-Fri then more over weekend with sluggish front, cut-off low resulting from same pattern.
Very unlike 2011, core of spring severe weather season has shifted well west of Virginia
Focus of active weather continues to be to our west and northwest — they’ve been getting tornadoes and flooding while we’ve been getting periods of sporadic showers.
cardinalnews.org
May 1, 2025 at 11:45 AM
14 years ago we were cleaning up from deadly tornadoes in SW/S'side Va. Pattern has kept most severe storms well to west this spring. Showery with a few storms Thurs-Fri then more over weekend with sluggish front, cut-off low resulting from same pattern.
Some showers in western Virginia off and on through the week as fronts move in from west, stall, dawdle. But amounts in Virginia look relatively light as heavier rain/severe storms focus in central U.S. Neither a sunny week nor a still-needed soaking rain likely.
April 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Some showers in western Virginia off and on through the week as fronts move in from west, stall, dawdle. But amounts in Virginia look relatively light as heavier rain/severe storms focus in central U.S. Neither a sunny week nor a still-needed soaking rain likely.
A @cardinalnews.org article via Capitol News Service looks at concerns of how staffing/funding cuts to NOAA may affect weather services in Virginia. Some comments from @subletteweather.com. cardinalnews.org/2025/04/22/f...
Farmers, meteorologists fear forecast gaps as Trump-era layoffs hit NOAA
NOAA provides weather and climate information to farmers so they can make decisions on their crops and livestock.
cardinalnews.org
April 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
A @cardinalnews.org article via Capitol News Service looks at concerns of how staffing/funding cuts to NOAA may affect weather services in Virginia. Some comments from @subletteweather.com. cardinalnews.org/2025/04/22/f...
Don't rule out a shower/storm especially N/W of Roanoke by Mon PM, with marginal to slight risk of a few severe storms with damaging wind and large hail. New front brings more windy cool weather Tues-Wed, possible frost/freeze Thurs AM. Warmer over Easter weekend into next week.
April 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Don't rule out a shower/storm especially N/W of Roanoke by Mon PM, with marginal to slight risk of a few severe storms with damaging wind and large hail. New front brings more windy cool weather Tues-Wed, possible frost/freeze Thurs AM. Warmer over Easter weekend into next week.
Spring blossoms and a tufted titmouse pecking on my window this chilly April Saturday morning along the Blue Ridge in southern Roanoke County, Virginia.
April 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Spring blossoms and a tufted titmouse pecking on my window this chilly April Saturday morning along the Blue Ridge in southern Roanoke County, Virginia.