8 AM Update
Elsa is a tropical storm again with 65 mph winds. As of this update, Elsa is moving toward the north near 14 mph and a general northward motion is expected to continue through this afternoon. A turn toward the north-northeast is expected late this afternoon or tonight.
The latest forecast from the NHC is suggesting a tropical storm will be moving through our area Thursday night.
The timing here suggests that we’ll see an overhead pass Thursday night.
While there is some wiggle room in our forecast, with room for tweaks and changes, it’s safe to say Hampton Roads will get a good dose of rain out of this.
Thursday should start out relatively quiet, breezy with increasing cloud coverage. Temperatures should hold in the 80s through the afternoon. By the evening, we’ll look for the rain bands from Elsa to move into the region. Rain will be heavy at times, with the threat of a few strong to severe thunderstorms. There’s also the threat of an isolated tornado or two, which is typical for these tropical situations.
The timing of these impacts, as of now, looks likely for Thursday evening into the late night hours. By Friday morning the system will be moving offshore to the northeast, winds turn offshore, there’s a few waves to catch and the weather shapes up. Partly sunny skies with temperatures in the mid/upper 80s. A few leftover showers are possible as well with the breeze.
Highlight Thursday as the day to pay attention to, but it shouldn’t be anything the Hampton Roads area can’t handle.
We’ll continue to fine-tune the details and update our forecast.
Meteorologist Steve Fundaro