A stormy midweek cooldown is coming, but southwest Virginia residents won’t be reaching for a jacket for long. Summer-like heat could break records by Monday.
Residents of Blacksburg and the surrounding Montgomery County area should brace for a sharp weather whiplash this week — a round of potentially strong thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon will quickly give way to one of the warmest stretches the region has seen this spring, with temperatures surging toward 89°F by early next week.
Wednesday starts deceptively pleasant with morning sunshine before clouds build through the afternoon. The National Weather Service says showers and thunderstorms become likely after 4 p.m., and some storms could carry heavier rainfall and gusty winds. Wednesday’s high is forecast near 73°F, but the real story arrives overnight, when cooler air sweeps in behind the system and drops temperatures to the mid-40s.
“The warming trend strengthens heading into the weekend — and it doesn’t stop there.”
Thursday will feel noticeably different: mostly sunny, breezy, and cool with a high of only 60°F. Northwest winds could gust up to 23 mph across Montgomery County and neighboring portions of southwest Virginia — a good day to hold onto your hat.
From there, the pattern flips fast. Friday returns to sunshine with highs back in the lower 70s, and Saturday climbs to the lower 80s, though an isolated afternoon shower can’t be ruled out. Then comes the heat.
Sunday kicks off what forecasters describe as summerlike warmth expanding across the region. Highs are expected to reach 87°F Sunday, climb further to around 89°F Monday, and hold in the upper 80s through Tuesday under mostly sunny skies — a dramatic leap from Thursday’s cool 60-degree afternoon just days earlier.
The full 7-day outlook for the Blacksburg area is as follows:
| Wednesday | Thunderstorms likely after 4 pm | 73°F |
| Wed Night | Chance of showers clearing overnight | Low 44°F |
| Thursday | Mostly sunny, breezy (gusts 23 mph) | 60°F |
| Thu Night | Mostly clear | Low 42°F |
| Friday | Sunny | 73°F |
| Saturday | Slight chance of afternoon showers | 82°F |
| Sunday | Chance of showers and thunderstorms | 87°F |
The NWS advises residents to stay weather-aware Wednesday afternoon and evening. Those with outdoor plans for the weekend will find Friday the safest bet before isolated storm chances return Saturday and Sunday alongside the climbing heat.
