West Virginia Weather March 4 Midday - 47° Above Normal

Good afternoon. West Virginia. I'm Aaron Jolly. We picked up about four-tenths of an inch of rain overnight, but the real story is the thermometer. Step outside and you might think we skipped straight to late April. In the next 24 hours. Central West Virginia is basking in 66 degrees right now. That's running a solid 47 degrees warmer than usual for early March. You'll likely see a few rumbles of thunder as rain peaks around 5 P.M. It stays unusually mild tonight with showers and a low of 57. Head north to the Panhandle and it's a bit cooler at 59 degrees, but the rain is persistent. Watch for patchy fog developing as that 90 percent chance of rain continues overnight. Lows only dip to about 55 degrees. Down in southern West Virginia, you're looking at 65 degrees this afternoon with rain likely through early evening. Skies partially clear tonight with a low around 52. A Flood Warning is in effect for Mason County until 5:30 P.M. We've also got a Flood Watch covering northwest West Virginia and southeast Ohio through Thursday afternoon. Creeks are running high, so don't try to drive through water covering the road. Tomorrow kicks off a remarkable warm stretch. Central areas hit 78 degrees. The Panhandle reaches 69. The south climbs to 72. We're talking 47 degrees to 47 degrees above normal. Friday and Saturday could challenge records, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. But Saturday brings a change. A cold front sweeps through with strong to severe storms possible in the afternoon. Damaging winds and even an isolated tornado can't be ruled out. Sunday cools back to the 60s with lingering showers, before we rebound to the mid-70s Monday and Tuesday. If you see high water today, turn around. Don't drown. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.