Grey & Wet Pattern Here to Stay

Todd tells me the moon is in a waxing mode these days, which means it is getting larger every night in the sky. Last night’s sliver will grow nightly until we reach full moon status next Tuesday. Trouble is, we may not see the moon again for several nights as a long cloud-shrouded and damp pattern sets in.

Wednesday’s light showers were the prelude to a week long spell of off and on rains. By the time we break out of this cycle, it will be almost Memorial weekend. But until then, a daily risk of showers and thundershowers will grace our presence.

Mind you all day rains are not forecasted, but a constant risk of rain will have to be monitored for weekend events like the Armed Services parade in South Charleston on Saturday and the Matewan Massacre Re-enactment.

Thursday’s rains will be the heaviest we see with accumulations in the one half to inch and a half range (.5”-1.5”). The rains will arrive in light shower form late morning and early afternoon (from south to north) and turn heavy at night.

Local street flooding looks likely. Since the ground is now wet after a 3 inch rain week last week, we may well have a few small streams come out of their banks.

As for pleasure boating on our big rivers, water levels are likely to remain higher than normal on the Kanawha, Big Sandy and Ohio heading into the weekend. But the amount of the rise on our rivers and its impact on boating will depend on how much rain falls on Thursday and Friday, my gut says the Ohio stays above 30 feet in Huntington and the Kanawha stays above 10 feet in Charleston thru the weekend. Both those numbers are considered high for spring boating.

One final word, this pattern looks to break late next week and early call for the Memorial Day weekend is hot and sunny with highs in the 80s. Time will tell how that forecast holds up for summer’s unofficial start!