Friday, Sept. 30 Tracking Timeline
11 p.m. Update:
Post Tropical Cyclone Ian is no longer a tropical system but it is still a strong storm system for those further inland. As of 11 p.m. on Friday, the storm is 60 miles south-southeast of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Ian’s top winds are now recorded to be 50 mph and the storm is moving north at a speed of 15 mph. The storm is expected to enter Virginia near Danville overnight.
The heaviest rain will taper off over the area overnight and tomorrow morning in Central Virginia is expected to have steady rain. Early in the day on Saturday, the rain is expected to turn to a cloudy drizzle and the temperature is expected to warm to the high 60s or low 70s.
As the remains of Ian drift over Virginia on Sunday and Monday, showers are expected to return with cool highs in the 60s.
5 p.m. Update:
Ian has now moved inland and is no longer a tropical system, however, it is still considered a very strong storm and therefore has been categorized as a “Post Tropical Cyclone.” The storm’s current wind speed is 70 mph and it is traveling north at a speed of 15 mph.
Ian is expected to move northwest through North Carolina tonight and finally meet its end tomorrow afternoon between the Danville and Roanoke area.
The rain will continue over the central Virginia region throughout the night and it will be heavy at times before starting to taper off by daybreak tomorrow.
There are a number of severe weather alerts surrounding the area, such as wind advisories to the west and near the Bay, as well as gale warnings and storm warnings over the Bay and the Hampton Roads area. There is also a Flood Watch for the southern part of the state.
Tomorrow, the steady rain comes to an end early in the day and we will be cloudy, and drizzly throughout the day. It will get a little warmer with highs in the 60s and lower 70s.
As the remains of Hurricane Ian drift over Central Virginia through the day on Sunday and Monday, showers are going to return to the area with cool highs only in the 60s.
2:19 p.m. Update:
Hurricane Ian has made landfall in Georgetown, South Carolina at 2:05 p.m. as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm has wind speeds up to 85 mph.
1:15 p.m. Update:
Storms are now expected in many counties and cities throughout Virginia. As of 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, tornado watches have now been issued for three Southeast Virginia counties: Greensville, Middlesex and Sussex counties. Keep up with all of our weather updates for Virginia here.
11:53 a.m. Update:
An Areal Flood Watch has been issued for southern Virginian and southeastern Virginian counties through Saturday morning. Remember, if you see standing water on the roadways turn around and do not drive through it.
6:30 a.m. Update:
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Hurricane Ian continues to churn in the Atlantic Friday morning moving northeast at nine miles per hour, with sustained winds of 85 miles per hour. It is trekking north eastward towards South Carolina, where it is expected to make landfall between Charleston and Myrtle Beach later Friday afternoon.
Once Ian makes landfall it will make its way up through North Carolina as a tropical storm and then eventually enter southwestern Virginia, where it will lose its tropical characteristics and become a rain maker.
This means a few things for the weather in Central Virginia Friday. There is a Gale Advisory in effect in the Chesapeake Bay and a Storm Warning in effect for the southern part of the bay. There is also a wind advisory in effect for eastern counties and localities that border the bay. A wind advisory has also been issued for western Virginia. Winds up to 45 miles per hour are possible in these areas for Friday afternoon through the night. Across Central Virginia, winds around 25 miles per hour are possible with gusts up to 45 miles per hour.
Rain will start to approach Virginia early Friday morning, and southern Virginia will begin seeing showers early on.
Showers will reach the metro Richmond area around early to mid-morning and from there they will spread across the state and become heavier in the afternoon.
The heaviest rain will be Friday evening and Friday night. This is also when the best chance for strong storms in southeastern Virginia will be. Heavy downpours are the biggest concern, but a few brief isolated tornadoes are possible late Friday into the overnight. Make sure you have more than one way to receive severe weather alerts.
Rain will begin to taper off by daybreak on Saturday and Central Virginia will see on and off showers throughout the day. Otherwise, it will be a cloudy and cool day across the commonwealth. The remnants of Ian will trek across Central Virginia Sunday and Monday, bringing more on and off showers for both days.
By the time this is all done on Tuesday, we will see around two to five inches of rain across the region, with the highest amounts in coastal communities.
